Home
by Rusala
Summary: Everyone has a past and a dark secret they want to hide. When Sakura finally escapes the hellhole of what should have been a home, with her interesting abilities, she gets caught stealing at a diner by 4 very interesting men. How will things unfold? Modern Day AU with abilities and chakra. Some GenmaxSakura and YamatoxSakura fluff. Mainly KakashixSakura Rated M for future content
1. Prologue

**-I do not own Naruto or any characters from Naruto. I own the fanfic and I own a few of the extra OC characters that play along in the story-**

****FYI, I am editing everything from Chapter 1-13. I realize that after all that reading and revision I did, it was not enough haha. So Please be patient with any misspells or grammar mistakes you see. I am editing them. Happy Reading :)  
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How did Sakura end up here? Our pink headed little friend had pulled on a wondrous chase but had finally been surrounded.

The cold humid air hung in the atmosphere and her rain soaked clothes stuck to her skin. She had never, so badly, wanted to shed her dark hoodie and jeans she had been sporting for the past six months, wanting to warm herself up against anything. But in a moment like this she needed to run. Pick pocketing could only help you survive for so long and she was pretty good at it, but someone finally noticed. Why did these people care? They weren't law enforcers. They were nothing more than strangers who happened to noticed. No stranger cared. Not ever. So why where these people making a big deal of her stealing? Its not like she stole from them. She never would have stolen from them. They were men, and they were the last creatures she would ever steal from. She only vowed to steal from two men to survive and that was two too many.

She made another dash to the other end of the alleyway that, thank god, lead to an opening to one of the busiest streets in this entire city. If she could just make it to the end she could hide amongst the crowd and go back to the way things were.

But just how did she get into this situation?

**Six Months Ago**** 5:14 pm**

"You bitch! It's all your damn fault! Get over here so I can deliver your punishment!" screamed a man wearing a black, three piece suit. He was tall and thin, with short, jet black hair and soulless black eyes. He was quite handsome and well refined when he wasn't home and apparently everyone loved him, except for Sakura. He was a monster, but she couldn't get away. She never disobeyed the man who she referred to as 'father'. If it meant living, then she would gladly withstand any pain or punishment he threw her way.

Today's weapon of choice was hot coffee she had just poured for his arrival. He didn't like the flavor, though he spiked it with alcohol, and decided to let her know it was horrible. He poured the searing hot liquid upon her hands and slapped her across the face for even daring to have a tear form in her eye.

"Now get out of my sight! Don't come down here until I tell you to!" he shouted.

Sakura made her way upstairs quietly and closed the door to what she called a room. It was really just a storage room with a single sized bed, a few clothes in a miniature makeshift closet, and a dresser which held more clothes, though none were all too flattering and old. But who was she to complain? She was alive, able to eat, bathe, and have a roof over her head. She had just enough to keep warm for the harsh elements during the rainy or chilling fall season and just enough to keep her cool during the odd heat spells of summer.

Sitting against the door she inhaled slowly and concentrated her thoughts to the hot, stinging pain that fell upon her hands. She was glad this wound was someplace she could see and reach. Her hands began to glow a pale, greenish white color and soon her hands were feeling better.

She crawled over to the foot of her bed and pulled out a small box from underneath. A few mementos covered in a zip-lock bag, that just kept her going, resided within the box. Inside that bag was a photograph of a beautiful woman with long brown hair and beautiful, green eyes, who smiled brightly with a pink haired child in her arms. It was one of the happiest and best mementos she possessed in that entire box. She looked through the zip-lock bag, and over the other pieces of mementos she had; a birth certificate and a social security card. These were the other two most important mementos that kept her alive and knowing her name was Sakura, not monster, not freak, not bitch, or any other name of the sort.

Thumbing over them carefully, our young friend nodded to herself and bit her lower lip.

**6:30 pm**

This was it. Tonight was going to be the night she got away from all of this. She knew her 'father' had planned to dine out for the evening and Sakura took this opportunity to steal one of his small back packs he used for mountain biking and placed her important mementos inside, along with the cash she would subtly steal away for safe keeps. She never stole more than one dollar a day and mainly held onto 'chump change' her 'father' tossed around left and right. The first thing she was going to do was exchange all of the coins she had accumulated for a lighter load of currency.

Later that evening, things had gone just as she hoped. He never called for her. She heard him shower, get dressed, make a few phone calls, and head out. She heard the purr of a familiar engine start up and leave the driveway and exhaled in relief. She packed a few pieces of extra clothing in her bag, some snacks that were sealed well, a watch she knew her father would never miss, and she was more than ready to leave. She looked towards the clock that read 6:45 pm and then looked outside the windows. The sky had finally just turned dark and her 'father' wouldn't be home until 9:00pm. She didn't want to risk anything by staying longer and left in a plain t-shirt, jeans, her tattered converse, and black hoodie which was too large for her.

With one final sweep through her house, making sure she didn't leave anything important behind, not like she could have since she didn't have much, and left.

**Three Months Ago**

Sakura had been within the lively, busting city of Konoha and had found a place to stay with a man who claimed he loved her through his stoic and aggravated personality. He was a possessive, aggressive, abusive, yet handsome young man who lived alone. Much like a simmered down version of her father. His dark hair, dark eyes, and pale skin were his best features and seemed elite for being twenty-two. Spoiled much. But she didn't complain. She knew she wasn't going to stay long with him. She just needed the necessities to survive before she was tossed to the curb by some red headed woman with glasses and a mouth that could put any sailor to shame.

So Sakura did the same thing as she did at home. She stole small pocket change and no more than one dollar a day. After her two month trial of being a submissive, house maid and girlfriend, she left without a word and began living her life down the alleyways of the city.

For the rest of that time she survived picking pockets and stealing things she could pawn off for extra cash so she could afford food. She didn't care where she lived. She was used to poor living conditions by now. She just needed to live, steal, eat, and sleep.

**Today at 11:40 am**

Sakura had ventured into a diner and sat upon the counter only ordering a small, hot chocolate, and a glass of water as the rain poured down outside. Her clothes were wet and she was soaked to the bone but the waitress said nothing to her. She only took her order and gave her a look of pity. Yes, if it wasn't the look of scorn or suspicion, it was the look of pity she received on a daily basis, but she learned to not let that bother her. She wasn't normal from the start so why should she expect someone to look at her any differently? She was just the wet, cold girl, sitting at the counter of a diner. She never removed the hood from her head to keep her features as hidden as possible in case of recognition from her exploits.

In alone moments like these, Sakura used it to scan the diners or restaurants, order something really cheap, use the restroom, and on her way back, swipe things from unsuspecting people. She even swiped tips that were left by courteous customers towards the wait staff. She was too pro at this now. But apparently a group of people had been watching her since she first entered.

The group of people at a table consisted of four handsome looking men who she suspected were going to harass her or bully her as she exited. She needed to steal something and get out of there fast.

**Today at the table of 4 men at 11:40 am**

They had been joking around about a lot of things as friends normally would when one of them stopped the blissful moment. His glance leaving his orange book to look around the table and out the windows caught the attention of his friends and they turned to look in the direction he seemed interested in. Kakashi was always the first to notice presences of chakra but this was an absolutely ridiculous amount of chakra that flooded the entire area. It was heavy, but light, warm, but cold, fulfilling but empty, and there was so much of it oozing from a mysterious hooded person who entered the diner and sat at the counter. Instantaneously the group's attention made its way to the hooded bystander who sipped away at a warm, steaming cup of something.

"Hey, that's pretty creepy. There's just too much chakra flowing from that person…" whispered Genma as he twisted a senbon in his lips.

"But what's with the feeling of it? I don't dislike it at all, but there's too much that it makes my skin crawl." spoke a calm Yamato.

Kakashi only nodded and continued to observe the mysterious person, who subtly glanced around the room. This person definitely looked suspicious.

"Hey, why don't we check him out? Ask him what's his deal and his status?" suggested a too eager Naruto.

"Idiot, he's got no status if he's oozing it out. Anyone can control and balance their chakra but this is just beyond control. I wouldn't be surprised if he started a rampage." added Genma.

"Indeed. The mind would be drawn to insanity and spontaneous enhancement. We need to watch carefully." spoke a cool, level headed Yamato.

Kakashi didn't say a word, but continued to observer this suspicious person. His friends joined in, and watched as the person made his way towards the restroom and back. If you blinked, you would have missed it, but they noticed some theft playing into action. It was very smooth too. No one would have noticed but the person left chakra traces everywhere along the spots he stole from. To the trained eye you could tell very easily that most of the traces were focused into the palms and left pools of it over the areas of theft.

Just as the mystery man paid for his beverage, he left with a normal pace. And thus the chase was on.

_'Ugh, their following me. Act natural. The most they'll do is make fun of you and push you around a little.'_ she thought.

Sakura hadn't realized until the last moment that they had been within arms reach of her and she panicked. She quickened her pace tugging onto her hood even more. She didn't like how close they were and fear began to plague her veins.

"Hey guy why did you steal that stuff?" perked an energetic Naruto.

Sakura tried to lower her voice and muttered, hoping not to sound like a girl. At best, she often got away as some young boy due to the pitch of her voice when she tried to lower her tone.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Please leave me alone." she said.

"But we all saw you." sneered an interested Genma.

"I'm sorry you have me mixed with someone else." she said, as she pushed her feet further. Her fast walking had turned into strides and soon she was on a sprint; as were the men.

"This guy is pretty fast. This will be fun!" shouted an overly eager Genma

Things suddenly turned into an elaborate chase through the city. Sakura weaved her way though people and alleyways like it was the back of her hand. Something as simple as this wasn't enough to have her falter. When she first started to pick pockets she was chased a few times before she could really perfect her style of stealing.

_'These guys are good. But why are they chasing me? They're obviously not law enforcers. Time to lose them.'_

She made a dash through the left side of an alleyway and started jumping over some obstacles she figured would be a good start to weeding them off. But surprisingly they were just as agile as she was. She had no choice but to use 'that' and concentrated on her feet which gave her extra speed and durability jumping over higher obstacles. She glanced back to see that Naruto and Genma were missing and continued dashing forward with a smile on her face until she was cut off. She made a dodge as the Naruto swung his fist and she focused on her forearms to block with a little bit of reinforcement. The punch still hurt but with her strange abilities she knew she was going to be fine if she could make it to her next destination.

She swung back a heavy, sloppy fist which Naruto caught, but was soon being flipped over by the amount of forced she added to lift him. Naruto was absolutely stunned he was bested by some street creeper and staggered to his feet when Genma began to chase after her. He thought about going around when he saw his chance to get her pinned. He ran up a ramp while increasing his speed and made a dive for her in which he failed miserably as he scraped rolled along the cold, hard, asphalt of the alley.

Sakura continued to push her feet harder, subconsciously leaving cracks in the ground, until she was cut off by Kakashi and Yamato. Sakura was now surrounded with only one alleyway left. This was it. She made another dash down the final alleyway that, thank god, lead to an opening to one of the busiest streets in this entire city. If she could just make it to the end she could hide amongst the crowd and go back to the way things were.

As she made the final stretch, she found herself slowing down and feeling extremely winded. What happened to her incredible stamina? Her freak like abilities that kept her alive? She was done for if things didn't kick in. Just as she almost made it out of the alleyway, she had been jerked backwards from the pull of her back pack and pinned against the wall.

Her body was on fire. Her heart pounded against her chest and she knew she was done for. Who were these men, that could easily keep up with her, and still not be as winded as she was? Her chest heaved up and down in a desperate attempt to pull air into her lungs and she stared into the deepest onyx colored eye she saw. The man's silver hair was wet and drooped over his left eye and his face mask was so wet it started to leave a light, red line over the hem on his skin. Obviously it had been rubbing against his face causing it to chafe.

"Looks like someone ran out of gas." stated Genma.

"Let me go!" she growled.

"No can do. You were stealing." Kakashi said with an eye crinkle.

Sakura didn't like that look in his eye, mainly because she couldn't tell what his overall expression was. His face was hidden by a mask for god's sake. She gave him the most dangerous glare she could give him from under her hood which caught him off guard a little.

The eyes of this stranger were a brilliant emerald filled with anger and rage. Such an interesting color to have for eyes. They weren't normal that's for sure. After a good long stare he leaned in closer for a better look when the anger and rage disappeared from her eyes and were immediately filled with fear and acceptance while the color had fallen to a dull, pale green.

_'What __is__ with this guy's eyes?' _Kakashi thought.

Sakura began to tremble under the strong hold of this man's grip and tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. She was scared. She never came across any man who could catch her after being alone this long. After being torture free for about three months, the sudden fear of going back to the pain and suffering plagued her mind and she panicked. She did the first thing her instinct told her to, to survive. Scream. But she couldn't. She didn't know how. She never shouted or screamed in her life and it obviously was too late to try. The only thing she could do was cry.

"Hey, man up. If you had the balls to steal and give us one hell of a chase, then don't ruin your manly defeat." called Naruto.

She kept crying as she stared into the onyx eye that never left her gaze. It was all over. She was going to be put back into pain. They were going to turn her into the police, return her to the hellhole, and she was going to receive even more pain and suffering than she ever did before.

Staring a little longer into the desperate green eyes of this stranger, something finally dawned on Kakashi. These wrists were too thin. These hands were too delicate and slender. And the silent hics and tears only said one thing, _**woman**_. He released her wrists and let her fall to the ground shaking in fear and tears and watched as she tried to wipe away tears with the back of her hands.

"Oi, Kakashi, don't let him go. He's going to run." grumbled Genma.

"I don't bully women Genma." he said flatly.

Women? Just what did Kakashi mean by women?

Kakashi squatted before the girl and placed a hand on her hood and slowly pulled it back, revealing her long pink locks of hair. The men stared in awe and how beautiful she was and suddenly felt extremely guilty. Here they were, trying to catch some punk using his chakra for wrong reasons when it was a slightly emaciated woman probably trying to survive.

The more the men observed her, the more they felt worse about trying to chase her. Her hair was messy and dirty, her complexion was ghostly, her clothes were soaking wet, her shoes were completely worn out and held together with duct tape, and her jeans were torn in various places. The only thing that was well kept was the bag that was strapped to her back.

"P-P-Please…I-I can't go back. How about a trade…?" she said through her tears.

"A trade?" said Yamato, with a questionable tone and expression.

She sniffed a few times and made eye contact with Genma and Naruto. "You two are injured. I'll fix it…just please let me go…" she continued to cry.

Kakashi looked to Naruto and Genma with suspicion. Except for the few scrapes and scratches they looked completely fine.

"Do you have some sort of first aid kit in that bag of yours little miss?" asked Genma. He was a notorious flirt but in a moment like this, he somehow desperately felt like he needed to be really nice to her.

"N-No…" she stammered. "B-But…I'll show you… just, please d-don't return me…"

Return me? What did she mean by return me?

Sakura stood to her feet feeling her sore muscles scream at her from over exhaustion. She made Naruto remove his now, wet, orange and black jacket and pulled at his arms. He had a slight bruise on his wrist from when Sakura flipped him over in the alleyway. She rolled up the sleeves to her hoodie and winced as she grazed the heavy bruises on her arms. And with a hesitant, light grasp, she did what she had always done when she needed to heal an injury. Her palms let off an eerily shade of green as she massaged his wrist to ease the pain away.

As she finished, she turned to Genma, who stared with his mouth agape, and asked to see his lower back and palms. There were scrapes along his lower back and she was terrified to even touch him. The last time she touched the lower back of a man earned her two firm hands around her neck. As her hesitant, icy fingers touched his skin, he shivered a bit but immediately began to feel a warm, soothing sensation that sent chills up his spine. It was, a very interesting feeling to say the least and in a way, very comforting.

Sakura didn't get a chance to work at his palms. She felt too tired. Her vision grew blurry and with a blow from the wind, she fell over.

Sakura awoke to the light nudges and bumps against the warm, broad feeling of what seemed like a shoulder. Her eyes lazily searched her surroundings and she sighed as she was grateful it wasn't a cop car. But then the sudden realization dawned on her. Why was she in a car? Where was she going? She sat up, startled, scared, and glanced to see an all too familiar eye crinkle to her left. She looked to her right and saw a quiet, short brown haired man who looked out of the window. The blond man sat in front passenger's seat and the long, brown haired man drove.

Her breathing began to pick up and her mind was racing. These men were probably going to rape her and kill her. But what scared her the most was her missing backpack. The only thing she truly treasured in this world, the only thing that kept her alive, was in that backpack.

"W-Where's m-my backpack?…" she stammered.

"Ah you're awake Sakura -chan!" shouted the blond man in the front seat.

"Sakura-chan…?" she asked. She knew her name was Sakura, but hearing it being called too familiarly left a bad taste in her mouth. For almost her whole life she was never referred to as Sakura. Monster, freak, and bitch, were the most familiar terms she received. When she went out with that man for about two months she was only referred to as woman. So she definitely didn't like the way her name was being called so affectionately.

Naruto noticed the grimace on her face and eyed her questionably. Was he being to familiar with her? He was just trying to be nice. So instead he change the topic.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki! The guy driving, his name is Genma Shiranui. To your left is Kakashi Hatake and to your right is Tenzo Yamato." he said with glee.

"M-My bag. Please tell me where it is." she said with a shaking voice.

"Ah you mean this?" Naruto said, as he picked the bag up from the floor by his feet.

Sakura lunged forward and grabbed tightly onto her bag and pulled it into her with a satisfied smile. At this moment, she didn't care what was going to happen. As long as her three treasures were in it then she could die happily. She unzipped the bag and dug around to find her most valuable items were missing and she started to panic again as tears began to sting in her eyes.

"Where are they!?" she gasped.

Everyone had glanced at the panicking woman as she hyperventilated and dug through her bag.

"What are you looking for?" asked a calm Tenzo.

"My treasures. They were in a zip-lock bag! Where are they?"

"Ah you mean this?" Naruto called again curiously, as he held the clear zip-lock bag between his fingers.

She made another lunge forward only to have Naruto pull it away. She tried again and this time managed a grasp but the contents inside began to bend. She immediately let go with a gasp and tears rolled down her cheeks. This got the men in the car to feel even guiltier that she was desperate for the few pieces of worn paper that resided in the baggie. What was her attachment to the items?

Naruto didn't want to make her cry anymore than she already did and gave it back to her carefully. She quickly snatched it from his fingers and began smoothing the papers inside the bag from when she had bent them. Now that she had felt calm Naruto decided to speak.

"I'm sorry. I took a look at your name without asking but I didn't see much. How old are you?"

"…" Sakura was hesitant to respond. She didn't know these people and worst of all they were men. She was still pretty terrified but she had sense of security holding onto her precious items.

"Where are you from?"

"…" another bit of silence from Sakura.

"Can you please say something?" asked Kakashi.

Sakura really didn't trust the man on her left, seeing as he hid his face. It clearly said bad news regardless of the eye crinkles he gave her.

"…nowhere…" she said.

Genma raised an eyebrow and spoke in a soft tone as he turned a corner. "What do you mean nowhere? Everyone is from somewhere. Are you lost?"

Sakura shook her head in response, indicating a 'no'.

He continued again, "Are you a runaway?"

Sakura stiffened at his question which gave everyone the clear answer that he was indeed a runaway. But she said something that made them wonder about her even more.

"You can't call someone a runaway unless they had a home."

"Don't you have one?" asked Tenzo.

Sakura didn't answer that. Home is where your family is. Home is where you feel safe. Home is where you can live and be happy. She had no home. Only a hellhole.

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To Be Continued!

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**Author Note:**

**Hello all, thank you for reading. I'm seriously making this a SakuraxKakashi pairing with SakuraxGenma fluff and SakuraxYamato fluff. Please leave your reviews to let me know your thoughts or wants haha.**

**Thanks!**

**-Rusala**


	2. Your kindness

No one said anything in the car. It felt like it had been an hour since she woke up riding between Kakashi and Yamato. As the car came to a stop at a red light, Sakura could see a police station not too far up the road and her stomach dropped. She felt herself break into a cold sweat and felt like she needed to escape.

"Please don't take me to the police." she pleaded softly.

"We're not taking you to the police." Genma sang.

Sakura looked up with her eyes still filled with fear until they passed by the police station with ease. She exhaled in relief for the millionth time today and finally, Kakashi asked the question everyone had been dying to know.

"What did you mean by, 'don't return me'? If you have no home why are you afraid to be returned somewhere?" he said, in a soft, concerned tone.

Everyone had opened an ear to her response and waited patiently but she didn't know what to say. She had been sitting in a car with four complete strangers, men she might add, who were asking about her personal affairs. What should she do? What should she say? She never left her home or had much interaction between people other than her 'father', piss-poor ex, a few people she stole from, and these men. It was like god was trying to smite her for being alive.

"I don't want to talk about it…" she spat softly.

"That's understandable, but its not like you can return to that place anyways." said Yamato. Sakura didn't know what he meant and he could clearly see the look of confusion upon her face and continued talking. "You're, _special_, Sakura. It was by chance we even ran into you and now we can't just ignore you. If you don't get help you can be a danger to yourself and anyone around you."

Sakura didn't understand but she was smart enough to get the gist that they were talking about her strange abilities.

"So I'm a menace to the community?" she said with enthusiasm.

What was with this girl? No one should be enthusiastic about calling themselves something so negatively.

"No, you're not. You're a rarity. You've got some form of control but you practically ooze everything out and it feels really…interesting. Its something I've never felt before to be honest."

"…what am I 'oozing' out…?" she asked cautiously. She didn't like the way the conversation sounded and it brought back some bad memories. If she was 'oozing' out something toxic then that made her feel all the more worse.

No one answered her as the car came to a stop and they began shuffling outside. Sakura sat there dwelling on the past and her current situation when a light nudge from Kakashi scared the life out of her. She didn't like the touch or feeling from someone else and she still couldn't trust any of these people. Her body was trembling just from a slight nudge and everyone had to wonder what sort of things she's seen or experienced.

She slid out of the back seat cautiously and found herself staring at a large white building. Something about the image looked familiar but she had no clue as to what the place was. She only really associated herself with the alleys, restaurants, and diners. Any other wide, large, open place had to be avoided because she feared she would be recognized. If there was an easy crowd then she wouldn't have trouble at all with the location.

They made their way towards large glass doors which were brightly lit and Sakura began to dislike the place already. Entering was even worse as the smell of disinfecting solution haunted the halls along with a faded musty smell of food. Just where the hell where they?

A busty woman with long blond hair and golden eyes sauntered her way up towards Naruto and immediately started shouting at him.

"Do you have any idea how pissed I am? I'm trying to sleep when I get a whiny text message from your phone! So? What is it?" she roared.

The shouting had shaken Sakura slightly but she quickly recovered herself. Something about the shouting was scary, but it was disturbingly calming to her. She really didn't know what to make of the situations presented to her today. She enjoyed the time of freedom and no yelling or torture, but being in front of the yelling again also gave her some sort of affectionate longing.

Sakura hadn't been paying attention at all as she debated about the feelings and actions of today until she felt two strong, yet delicate hands touch her shoulder. Sakura flinched against the woman's touch and averted eye contact with her. She felt like if she made eye contact then she would probably get another beating. The woman only stared at her, as if she were sizing her up when she finally spoke, directing her voice to the men.

"I like her. You said she's a healer? I like her even more. She has a lot of potential and its been a while since I've met someone with an outstanding pool of chakra. She's perfect!"

Sakura still didn't look at the woman but she heard a little of what she said. Chakra? What the heck was chakra?

Sakura felt a cool hand cup her cheek that guided her face forward to make eye contact with the woman. Her gold eyes were beaming brightly with a fire and excitement as she spoke.

"My name is Tsunade. You're my student now. This is the hospital in which you will learn and work."

Sakura only started at her dumbfounded. Hospital? If her memory served her correctly a hospital was a place in which sick people went to for care. She saw a few dramas and articles about hospitals but never personally entered one. She remembered learning about a hospital once as a child but her knowledge was still pretty limited.

Sakura really had no outside world experience until she left home. Any information she learned was prior to leaving was what she read at home or saw on the television when her 'father' left for work.

"Well then, how about we get you cleaned up and I'll give you a check up?" Tsunade beamed.

'_Check up? Check…up… Oh! They're going to see what's wrong with me…yea there's definitely something wrong me since I'm oozing something…' _Sakura thought bitterly.

As Tsunade tugged on Sakura's arm gently to follow her, she winced and took a step back. She had yet to heal her own arms and the bruises from today's punch felt even worse. Her fight or flight response was starting to kick in again as she pulled her hands into herself and shook slightly. Tsunade gave her an alarmingly sympathetic look and held up a hand for everyone to see.

"Look." she said, as her hand pulled off the same eerily green color Sakura had grown dependent on for most of her life. "We're the same. You and I. Arms. Now." she politely demanded.

Sakura had been on autopilot with the woman's demand. She was so used to being ordered around with her body that it just seemed so disturbingly natural to hold them out.

Tsunade slid the sleeves of Sakura's hoodie up towards her elbows and there they were. Two large bruises along her forearms. What would have happened if she didn't reinforce her arms? She has heard of the term 'broken bones' but never experienced it and wondered if it was worse than bruises. Sakura's thoughts were broken into nothing when Tsunade placed her delicate fingers over the large bruises and, in soothing motions, quickly dispersed them.

Sakura looked down at Tsunade's handy work and back up towards her face where she saw a triumphant smile pull at Tsunade's lips.

"…we're the same…?" Sakura asked.

"Yes indeed. Now could you please follow me? I don't bite." she said sweetly.

"Yea right." muttered Naruto, who soon began to regret his choice of words.

Not just Tsunade, but his companions shot him a deathly glare. If looks could kill, Naruto would have been long gone by now. They definitely didn't need Sakura to be any more terrified than she already was. Naruto grew a little nervous under their gazes and fidgeted slightly.

"I-I'm just kidding Sakura-chan. She's a really nice lady. Right everyone?"

His companions only nodded in agreement but wouldn't dare speak up. Tsunade had her nice moments but she was loud, temperamental, and just very loud.

Sakura still had her suspicions but if this woman was the same as Sakura, then maybe there was hope for her. She was a woman after all. Women were calm and delicate. And with a hesitant step forward she began to follow after Tsunade, leaving the men in the lobby.

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"She's a mess." Tsunade stated.

"What do you mean?" asked a concerned Genma.

"Its just as I said it. She's done a very good job at healing herself but I can see and feel all of the previous damages. Its quite ugly. Where did you meet her?"

"We chased after her. She was stealing from the diner we were eating at by chance and she was practically pouring out chakra. So we chased her." stated Naruto.

"Tsunade, you're a woman, were you able to ask her questions about herself?" asked Tenzo

"Nope. Just her age. I told her about the situation as of now, why we're the same, things like that but we found ourselves talking about other things. She quite smart and she picks up things fast. I really like her but she's a mess."

"Abuse." Kakashi said as he pretended to read his book.

"I was just about to suggest that. Good eye Kakashi." Tsunade added.

"To have that much chakra at her disposal and her basic healing skills, she should be considered a national treasure. Abuse is very unheard of towards people like her. Much more common to people like us." spoke Genma as he pointed to himself and his companions with the look of disbelief.

"We don't know her story. Its very unheard of Genma but that doesn't mean its doesn't happen. You don't know where she came from. To be at this age with no control and scrounging around to get by what does that tell you? She's obviously not from here."

The men kept their silence as they processed Tsunade's words. It did make sense that she wasn't from the city. This city treated people like them with care and respect. They were national treasures who were kept in pristine condition and trained for cases of emergencies and national disasters. There were cases of child abuse with those who had the potential to be a fighter but healers were definitely the best treasures. No one touched them.

But then the mystery of her age made them question things even more.

"Tsunade, how old is she?" asked a curious Kakashi.

"According to the birth certificate she carried she turned seventeen in March."

"What?" shouted a surprised Naruto and Genma.

Kakashi only nodded his head while Yamato said, "I thought she was around that age."

"N-No way! She's gorgeous! She looks like she's in her early twenties!" spoke an overly eager Genma. "What will she look like when she's actually in her twenties?"

"Don't you dare start thinking about her in that way you perv!" growled Naruto

"Me? A perv? Heavens no! If anyone is the perv its Kakashi. He's constantly reading that smut out in the open without a care in the world."

"Don't bring me into this. Besides its not smut. it's a wonderful tale of-" stared Kakashi but was soon cut off by a loud Genma

"I've read those books too! They're lovely smut! But I don't read them in the daylight 24/7 like you do!"

"Ah so you've read them? Which ones did you like?"

"Ah well you know volume 3...Dammit Kakashi! Don't turn this on me!"

"My, my, if you can state a volume number then wouldn't that make you a perv?" sneered Naruto.

"I'm not a perv. Besides you live with the man who writes these books! Doesn't that make you one too?" growled Genma

"Just because I live with him doesn't mean I read it! Why should I read it when I have a steady girlfriend?" Naruto sniggered.

As the two of them continued to butt-heads with one another, Kakashi asked another question.

"Where is she right now?"

"She's reading in my office. For the short span of time we were in there together she finished four magazines and started an elaborate debate. I think she's a little too smart." Tsunade laughed out.

"Can we see her?" asked Yamato very cautiously.

Kakashi understood where Yamato was coming from. The girl was terrified and somehow they felt like her guardians soon after finding her. They felt compelled to take care of her. Was it because they were drawn in by her chakra? Her beauty? Or was it because of her fear that gave them a sense of wanting to look out for her?

"I don't see an issue." Tsunade glanced at the two idiots who had been caught in a stare-off and spoke louder than usual. "Oh well I guess I'll just take Kakashi and Yamato to see Sakura and-"

Suddenly both idiots were listening and ran up to meet them. "We're coming too!" they shouted.

* * *

When they finally reached the door to her office Tsunade gave light knock on the door and peaked her head inside. "Sakura I'm back and I brought your friends."

Sakura didn't respond but Tsunade entered with the four men desperately trailing behind. Sakura had been reading a few books at that were in the office with a dictionary wide open. She was wearing a pair loose scrubs and slippers they normally handed to patients and the men stared in marvel at the huge change in Sakura's appearance. Although she still needed a good cleansing, her long hair was much more lively and had a sheen. Her skin was no longer ghostly and held a beautiful, silky, cream color. Her lips weren't cracked and were a light, supple pink and her over all appearance seemed calm. Tsunade wasn't a miracle worker for nothing.

"Sakura?" she called again.

Sakura didn't notice their presence at all. She was so droned out in what she was reading and trying to understand. As she swiftly read through the pages of a large medical book, she glanced a few times towards the dictionary and flipped through pages. It was quite scary to see her speed and accuracy but it left everyone feeling really warm about her. She was starving for knowledge and they could see it clear as day.

Out of nowhere she abruptly stopped and muttered to herself, "…I don't know this type of math…" and then quickly dove back into the pages.

Tsunade placed a light hand on Sakura's shoulder which caused her to stand and flinch away from the desk.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to touch your books. I didn't understand the title on the spine and I recognized one of your books was a dictionary and I got curious and I couldn't help myself and I finished one book and then I saw another and I couldn't help myself from touching them and taking a look and-"

Sakura was a mess indeed. Her calm demeanor had changed into one that held absolute fear and uneasiness. Her eyes never made contact with anyone and her body shook as her hands fidgeted with the bottom hem of the shirt. Her breathing began to pick up and tears started to form in the corner of her eyes.

"Sakura calm down. You don't need to apologize. The books are there for anyone to read and touch. Please sit back down."

Sakura didn't move from her spot. She was too scared to. It amazed Tsunade at how she could be fine and pleasant one moment and suddenly take a turn for the worse the next. They definitely had a mess on their hands but it was one they were willing to clean it.

Everyone searched the ins and outs of their brain to think of a way to calm her down and get her to look at them. Suddenly Kakashi thought of something.

"Math." Kakashi muttered.

Everyone turned their gaze towards Kakashi except for Sakura. Instead she held her ears open to him. In a more calming tone he spoke up.

"I'll teach you math. You said you don't know math so I'll teach you. And science."

They gave Sakura a tentative glance and noticed she wasn't shaking anymore. The thought of learning seemed to calm her down and soon everyone caught onto the discussion.

"I'm pretty great at history so I can lend you hand in that department." spoke an eager Genma.

"I'm not smart but I can definitely teach you about ramen and stuff!" grinned Naruto.

"I'm sure you wouldn't mind learning some literature as well." suggested a calm Yamato.

Sakura hesitantly looked up towards the warm expressions on everyone's faces and looked to Tsunade for answers. She was absolutely confused on what was just offered to her.

"I already said you're my student. You're going to learn the ins and outs of this place and everything that deals with medicine. Think of it as school."

"School?" Sakura asked. Was that even an option for her? She only knew the basics of math, reading, writing, and comprehension just before she stopped going to school. She had no recollection of her first year in school other than just learning.

Why was everyone being so nice to her? They were complete strangers. No stranger cared. Never.

"Yes school. Obviously you want to learn. You're almost an adult and you need an education in order to do anything. Besides there are other things you need to learn for daily living including chakra control. These guys can help with that too." Tsunade spoke with utmost confidence.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked as she hesitantly looked around the room.

"These guys are _special_ too Sakura."

Special? The more Sakura tried to think about it, things slowly made some sense. They were able to keep up with her pace and not wind out. Naruto's punch was too strong even if she reinforced her arms. Lastly, they took her to a place to meet someone just like her.

Sakura didn't know what sort of feeling this was that flooded her body. Was it appreciation? Thankfulness? Joy? Relief? The only emotions she truly knew were fear, despair, sorrow, and happiness, though her happiness only belonged with the items she carried around.

"Sakura, we can offer as many things as we can but its up to you to make a choice. No one will force you to agree to anything, well except me since I'm demanding you be my student." Tsunade laughed out.

'_This woman has no shame or sense of compassion…'_ all four men thought.

Sakura thought hard about the choice she was given. The idea of people nice to her still seemed so foreign. She didn't know how to react. The same question kept flying around her thoughts and it drove her to tears because she couldn't understand. Why were these strangers being nice to someone like her? She was so sure that pain and despair only awaited her. Was this a ray of light that she had been hoping for? Or was is an illusion?

Watching her silently cry was more than an indication that she wanted to take their offer, but was scared to. It was heartbreaking to watch as she tried to sniffle and gasp through her tears. It actually broke the three older men apart. They knew she was most likely berating herself and putting herself down to such an even lower level of why she wasn't worthy of their offer.

"Ok its decided! You're staying with these guys and you're going to learn from all of us!" Tsunade beamed.

The look of shock and horror plagued the faces of the three older men in the room. Just what was Tsunade saying out of nowhere?

.

To Be Continued

* * *

**Author's Note: _If you're interested,_ I have another fanfiction running at the same time. It's a one piece fanfiction with NamixSanji as the official pairing called "Seasons". It's a modern day AU with a more realistic approach to their love rather than a overly fawning Sanji with heart bulb eyes. **

**Also,** **I just wanted to let you know that yes, I'm changing up ages haha. It's a fanfiction. I can do as I please lol**  
**Kakashi, Genma, and Yamato are 26 years old. **  
**Naruto and any rookie 9 characters you known and love are 20-22**  
**Of course, I'm making Sakura 17. It adds to the drama effect I'm hoping to toss in later.**

Also, again, sorry for incorrect spelling or grammar or choice of words. English is my native tongue but I'm bilingual and constantly go back and forth with my family in Japanese. So please forgive my writing.  
Oh and don't be surprised if I accidentally write one piece character names in this fanfic haha. I'm writing both at the same time and my one piece fanfic takes more priority so its hard for me to focus on character names sometimes haha.  


**Ok, thanks for reading!**

**-Rusala**


	3. Home

The car ride was silent again. Genma and Yamato had taken the front seats as Sakura and Kakashi had taken the back. Sakura still had her suspicions of the people the she had just met because she couldn't wrap her mind around the idea that people could be nice to her.

As Genma drove, for safety measures, he kept the child-safety lock activated in the car in case she tried to make a run for it. He wasn't trying to keep her as a prisoner, but he was worried she would try to run like she did at the diner. Though he wouldn't blame her. For all he knew, they could have caused more trauma to her.

Yamato stared out of the window and Kakashi was involved in his book. Both trying to keep their mind off of the pressing matter that Sakura was going to live with them.

_**-Flashback:-**_

_"Ok its decided! You're staying with these guys and you're going to learn from all of us!" Tsunade beamed_

_The look of shock and horror plagued the faces of the men in the room. Just what was Tsunade saying out of nowhere?_

_Genma forcefully shook away the shock and jumped with glee as he began babbling about a few history topics that could have interested Sakura - while Yamato and Kakashi led Tsunade outside for a talk. As the three of them left the office, they traveled a few meters away before resting upon a small seating arrangement of benches by the nurse's station._

_"Tsunade what are you thinking? She's scared of people, maybe more of us. We chased her and Naruto punched her. If she was abused, doesn't that make our situatoin with her worse?" spoke a stern Yamato._

_"Yes, wouldn't it be better if she stayed with you? You're a woman as well so things would be easier for her. Besides, she needs to ease into the number of people she's around. Perhaps after a while she can eventually live with us to increase the number of people she interacts with." said Kakashi in a calm manner._

_"I can't do that. I'm almost never home as it is. How do you expect her to ease into people when she won't be able to see the person she lives with? Teaching and guiding, I can do that here, but I can't leave her alone at my house. I also can't keep her here 24/7 like I do with myself because its not healthy for her. She's too fragile to be left alone after all of this stimulation and I don't want her developing jaded views on living conditions if she stays with me here in the hospital. She needs a_ home."

_Tsunade inhaled deeply and leaned her back into the wall. She would have gladly taken Sakura in, but even she knew her place wasn't the best. It was nice and spacious but it wasn't a home. It takes more than just a residence to make a place a home. Home is a place where you feel safe. It provides physical safety from the elements, a place to sleep, a place to feel comfortable and at peace, a place to make and hold memories, but more importantly, an emotional haven. Tsunade knew she couldn't give that to Sakura if she wasn't around. She turned her attention back towards Kakashi and Yamato and continued to speak._

_"I've seen your place. Its very warm and homey and I think it's the perfect place to have her start over. Besides, you're all very elite and her chakra needs to be watched after when I'm not around. She might wake up one day and find that she's breaking everything in the house at the simplest of things. How do you think that would make her feel? She'll grow fearful of her mistakes and expect punishment or she'll run. We still don't know about her past and I'm a heavy drinker with a bad temper. I might trigger a lot of things for her. So I'm counting on you guys."_

_Kakashi and Yamato stared in awe as they listened to Tsunade's concern and thoughtful words. Tsunade really did have a good side even if she didn't always show it. It wasn't something they were used to seeing anyways. Both men nodded in agreement to the points she made about Sakura's road to recovery and didn't dare ask any more questions._

.

Which brings them back to their situation at hand.

Rain pattered against the windows of the car, just barely relieving the silence of the ride. Genma pulled into a residential area of simple two-story homes and continued down an over lengthily path. Sakura observed the neighborhood as simple homes turned into moderate homes and eventually into extravagant homes. Her hands trembled slightly seeing the houses that reminded her of where she came from until she saw more trees instead of houses.

She been releasing more chakra than before due to her uneasiness of the surroundings which caught everyone's attention. Genma coughed and then tried to clear his throat, Yamato shuddered a bit and rubbed the back of his neck, and Kakashi kept his stoic expression as he looked over to Sakura.

"Are you ok?" asked Kakashi with a smooth, calming tone. He didn't like the feeling that was flooding the car but what could you say to someone like Sakura? She held all the classic signs of abuse and the most anyone could offer her for now was calm, reassuring interactions.

She never said anything but looked at him with anxiety. He took a good look at her face and noticed her eye color shifting slightly. The outer parts of her iris grew a dark shade as it lightened up towards her pupils.

'_Her eyes again..' _he thought

Why was Kakashi interested in her eyes? Was it because they were different? He'll admit the shape was lovely but the shifts in shades were just very, interesting. Each color held so much depth it seemed to pull you in. Genma pretended to clear his throat even more before he spoke in an enthusiastic tone.

"So, Sakura, what sort of food do you like?"

Sakura's attention had be pulled from her uneasiness for a moment. She never focused on types of food she would like. Food was food and you definitely needed it to survive. In her past there were a few dishes she preferred over others but she never complained. If it was cheap or free then she would take it. If it meant, not starving, then she would gladly eat whatever was there. Sakura swallowed hard. She needed to get used to the idea that she was going to live with these men for a while. She needed to socialize with them. They were nice enough to take her to a doctor and willing to teach her things; which she still couldn't understand. But if she was going to live with them, she should at least make some effort. She wouldn't want anyone to be upset with her for not answering.

"…I'm not…picky…" she said quietly.

"That's great but it doesn't really answer my question. What do you like? There is always something you like more than others."

Sakura kept her silence as she thought for another moment. _'Anything that's not expired or poisonous.' _Before she could open her mouth to say something more humble than her thoughts, the car had pulled into the large driveway of an extravagant looking residence surrounded by a lush forest. Her stomach dropped and she didn't know what to think. It was like her past was literally haunting her.

The built looked exactly the same with its two story design, rectangular shape, outward brick material, long French styled windows, and the dark wood front door. If this was a joke, it definitely wasn't funny.

Everyone, including Sakura, had shuffled out of the car and began walking up towards the front door. She examined house's exterior carefully and began to grow fearful of the new home. What were the chances of living in a home that was identical to your last? Especially if it was in a completely different city? Just before entering the front door, Kakashi stopped everyone and spoke with a slightly concerned tone.

"Sakura, are you scared of dogs?"

Dogs? Why was he asking her that? The more Yamato and Genma thought about it, they finally realized that there was a dog in the house...from time to time. A talking dog no less. How would they explain that to Sakura? Dogs weren't supposed to talk and Pakkun was a little too blunt sometimes. He didn't really give a damn about what he said or did unless Kakashi told him otherwise.

Sakura shook her head from left to right with an emotionless look on her face, though her eyes lit up with excitement and anticipation. She didn't have an issue with dogs. In fact she had a thing for them. They were very comforting for her during her time in the alleyways. It was cats that she had a problem with. They were overly territorial and too nimble when hissing and trying to strike you. What kind of dog was she going to see? Her chakra had changed from being heavy and cold to a light and warm feeling that just felt really pleasant. If this is how it would feel if she was going to see a dog, Kakashi and the rest couldn't wait to feel what it would be like if she was just joyful and exuberant.

They were so engrossed in the idea of a happy Sakura that they forgot they had a talking dog in their home. They led Sakura through the front door and were soon reminded of the harsh fact when they saw Pakkun, walking down the stairs. Kakashi immediately dashed towards his trusty little pug and hauled him up the stairs leaving Sakura, Genma, and Yamato in the entry way.

'_That was a close call…'_ thought Genma.

_'Pakkun has an overly keen sense of smell. He would have said something about Sakura no doubt…'_ thought Yamato.

Clearing his throat, Yamato turned to Sakura and gave her a warm smile. "How about I show you the first floor?"

With a hesitant nod, Sakura followed after him.

* * *

**Leaving everyone downstairs…**

"I need you to go back." spoke Kakashi in a whispered tone.

"What? Why? Today's Wednesday. We agreed that Monday through Wednesday I could be here and on weekends if you weren't busy. What gives?" whined Pakkun.

"I'll explain later so I'm sending you back."

"That's not fair. You finally get free time and now you're sending me back? Seriously what gives? Is it that woman I smell? You can't deceive my nose."

Pakkun's nose wrinkled a bit as he caught another whiff of the newest scent in the house and eyed Kakashi.

"Pakkun I don't want to scare her just yet with you talking and all."

"Mmmm, that's a lot of chakra and an…interesting scent." Pakkun said with interest.

"Listen when people are talking to you. I smell it too but you need to go back."

"Wait, can't I just pretend to be a normal dog? I promise to be good." He begged with the saddest look on his face. It was definitely a face he use when he begged Kakashi for bits of his sandwhiches or other food items.

"That's playing dirty Pakkun. I'll summon you when its ok to do so. I Promise"

"But it's a new person. Pardon me for being a dog but I'm excited to see this new person."

"Since when?"

"Since I can smell everything from her. She stinks though. But she smells good too."

Pakkun was quite the useful summon - having an incredibly sharp sense of smell even by canine standards, able to regularly determine what type of scent he is picking up on, how far away it was, and how dangerous a person was. It was moments like these Kakashi wished he hadn't summoned his little friend. Pakkun was a pretty amazing summon but lazy at times and only really did anything on his own if he needed to or was interested; and he was clearly interested.

With a deep sigh and a pout toward Kakashi, Pakkun raised his paws in defeat. He was going to play a little charade until he had his chance to escape to the woman he smelled. Kakashi eyed his little summon as if he were saying, 'I know what you're thinking and you better not'.

"Don't look at me like that. It's like you don't trust me."

"Right now I don't. I know what you're thinking and-"

Before Kakashi could finish his sentence, Genma knocked on the door and entered with a curious face. He needed to know if Kakashi would let Pakkun see Sakura or if he was going to send him back. Pakkun however, saw this as his chance and made a run for it like a bat flying out hell.

Kakashi dived for Pakkun but failed. He wasn't a capable summon for nothing. He needed to be tremendously fast if he was to be keeping up with people like Kakashi.

Following the scent, Pakkun ran downstairs and into the kitchen and stopped just as he spotted Sakura. She was pretty and her natural scent was very lovely, aside from not being clean. She also had the faint scent of other dogs on her but it made him want to get closer to her even more. She definitely was a dog person and he wanted to be her favorite. He pranced across the floor as cute as he could when he was finally caught by Kakashi. A sudden 'oof' left his snout causing Yamato and Sakura to turn around from a tour of the kitchen cabinets.

"Ah, Kakashi, I see you went to get Pakkun." Yamato said cheerfully and eyed the little pug with a knowing look.

"Yes. I just couldn't wait to show him to Sakura." Kakashi said, with a forced smile and eye crinkle. Prior to putting Pakkun on the floor he whispered beyond silently, "No talking."

As his little paws reached the floor, he pranced across the floor once more and sat in front of Sakura with an enthusiastic expression. She lowered herself to a squat and warmly scratched behind his ears. Kakashi and Yamato found themselves calming down as Pakkun chose to act like a house dog for Sakura. When she stopped to get a good look at him, he lifted a paw to shake her hand and gave her very sweet eyes. Her face still showed no expression but a light blush made its way to her cheeks and Yamato and Kakashi felt a tug in their chest. It was one of the best expressions they saw all day and it suited her much more than her other ones. They thanked whatever god was watching over them that she didn't flinch, cry, or cower in fear. But they mostly thanked him because she was adorable when she blushed. They really wanted to see what a smile would look like upon her face.

* * *

By the closing of a, not so interesting, tour of the house, Sakura was brought to the last room which would have been hers. She didn't have any hopeful ideas for her room. The house was warm and anything was better than outside. She just needed to conceal herself as much as possible until she was summoned. She didn't want to upset anyone for being in their way. She didn't want anyone to pull her hair for making eye contact with them. But something hung in the back of her mind about the house. Why did it feel familiar? Was it because the outside looked exactly the same as her other one? The inside was definitely set up differently but it felt like she knew the place.

Kakashi opened the door and found a sheepish Genma smoothing out some clean, white bed sheets from the full sized bed that resided in the room. Sakura eyed at how spacious the room was. Other than the bed, there was a large closet and bedside table which looked a little worn. Was she really going to stay in this room?

"Sorry Sakura, it's a little small in here." spoke Kakashi apologetically."The people who lived here prior to us had a child and so the room is pretty small."

Small? What did he mean by small? It was spacious. Even if there were more furniture in the room, there would still be a lot of space. Just what did these guys consider small?

"Sakura," Yamato called, "There is a bathroom in here as well so you don't have to worry about privacy." He said as he opened a door that was in the corner of the room.

A spacious room, a large closet, a big bed, and a private bathroom. Why did she have such luxury? It was a nice thought but it made her skin craw a little. She would have been fine with something as small as a storage room. She was accustomed to smaller and confined spaces by now because they felt safer for her. The more she looked around, the more she felt that this room was just too spacious and it started to scare her a little. What if someone was hiding in the closet to secretly take her back? What if she was seen through the large window and police came for her? What if? What if? What if? That was all that ran through her mind. She couldn't just be happy and indulge in the new lifestyle that was being presented to her.

Sakura only nodded her head and finally took her first step into the room, taking in the musty scent. She really didn't like the room now. The smell was the same as her old room and some painful memories were starting to resurface. Her uneasiness grew more as she took a few extra steps inside and carefully scanned the room again. She needed to overcome this obstacle if she was going to stay with them, but she couldn't stop her hands from trembling. In a moment like this, all she needed to do was touch her mementos and she would be ok, but she didn't get a chance to. Everyone watched her with curious eyes and she could only swallow hard.

"Thank…you…" she said quietly.

"So, um, why don't you make yourself at home and um, you're welcomed to anything in the house…" spoke a hesitant Genma.

"Do you have any comments or questions?" asked Yamato.

Sakura was about to shake her head in response when her stomach growled very loudly. The weird shrill sound caused her cheeks to heat in embarrassment. It wasn't surprising to any of them that she would have been hungry. In the diner she only had some sort of warm drink, after that they chased her and made her use up a lot of energy, and then they took her on a quest to meet Tsunade.

Genma looked at his watch and gaped at it. 5:45pm. Wasn't it only around eleven when they first encountered Sakura? Did they really spend six hours with her already? He's heard the phrase, "time flies when you're having fun", but they weren't exactly having fun through all the concern and worry. Well, its never too early to eat. The guys had to admit that little chase earlier actually made them want a light snack but considering Sakura's predicament they didn't mind eating _extra_ early.

With a shrug and a warm smile Genma spoke up again.

"So, seeing as that you're hungry, and I'm hungry, and uh, maybe these two are hungry, how about you take a shower and we'll go out to-" Genma stopped in his tracks.

What was he going to say just now? 'Go out to eat?' Yeah right. The girl didn't even have any extra clothes. She wore spare scrubs from the hospital and her wet clothes sat in a plastic bag in her backpack. She wasn't going anywhere tonight and he knew it.

Kakashi caught on to the discussion immediately and shot a look to Yamato. Clearly they were stumped and secretly began cursing Tsunade for not at least giving her another set of scrubs.

"How about you take a shower and we'll cook for you?" spoke Yamato.

"Yeah! We'll show off our mad cooking skills! And you can wash your clothes while you wait." added Genma nervously.

Sakura didn't know what to say. There they were, being nice and offering her things again. The feeling was all too foreign and all she could do was nod, hoping it was the right answer.

"I'll be back. There's extra soap in the hallway closet." said Yamato as he quickly dashed out of the room.

Genma took this chance to run out shouting, "I'll start cooking!"

And then there were two. Sakura didn't make eye contact with Kakashi as he gave her his normal eye crinkle. She still thought he was shiftiest person she had met that day and he could clearly see it. He maintained a calm outer appearance but he was a wreck on the inside. What was he supposed to say? What should he do? Showing his face wasn't an option and talking was just awkward. He looked towards the floor and saw his savior walk by and sit next to his feet and a conversation came to mind.

"So…Sakura…is it ok to say you like dogs?" he asked hesitantly. He really didn't know what he was getting himself into and didn't want to risk her having a terror episode, but he wanted to try talking to her.

Sakura slowly nodded in response as Kakashi continued to speak calmly. "I have quite a few actually. Pakkun is around most of the time but the others come and go if they feel like it."

Sakura, for the first time, made proper eye contact with someone. Kakashi was caught off guard at the excitement that twinkled in her eyes; though her face still held a blank expression. She really did like dogs didn't she? Well at least he was breaking the awkward silence between them. If talking about dogs caught her interest, other than learning, then he would talk about them as much as he could. Especially if it mean he could see the lively emotions that played in her eyes. What caught him even more off guard was that she continued the conversation.

"…they come and go? …They don't live here?"

"It's a little difficult to explain right now. But don't worry, they're harmless and very friendly. I'm sure you'll love them just as much as I do."

Love? Was that even in Sakura's emotional dictionary? She liked dogs, but love… Wasn't that just a stronger form for liking dogs too much? Did Kakashi like dogs too much? At least it was nice to see someone love something. She found herself feeling a little less hesitant around the man who she still deemed as shifty.

"I see…Then…what about Pakkun?"

"Pakkun is here from Monday through Wednesday and also weekends. But that's only if I'm not busy."

"…do you rent him for a few days? ...or something?"Although her tone was curious and analytical, something about it had a hidden, playfulness to it. Maybe more of innocence?

Kakashi blinked for a moment and felt a chuckle rumble in his chest. Somehow her question was endearing and he couldn't understand why. Just as he was about to give a light explanation of chakra and summoning, Yamato came in with a box of soap, three different bottles of shampoo, and two towels.

"Sorry I took so long. I couldn't find any other shampoo bottles so I had to grab some from our showers. They're uh, manly smelling I guess you could say. For now, just pick what smells better to you and tomorrow we'll figure out what we need to get for you."

Sakura slowly nodded and looked towards the floor, which seemed to be her best friend. Getting her to socialize more and make eye contact was going to take some time, but it wasn't impossible. As long as things progressed gradually, then maybe in a couple of weeks she would be open to talking about herself and grow healthier mentally and emotionally.

* * *

**Author's Note:**  
**Hey everyone, sorry for the wait. I have my nursing license exam coming up and I can't afford to fail since I payed so much damn money for the applicaiton fees, police and court clearances, vaccinations, photo I.D., written test and skills test fees, and some damn acting company for fake patients. Yea, I can't use real patients since I'm technically not licensed yet and the hospital wants to avoid lawsuits (understandable), so I have to settle for people pretended to be patients. **

**Please wait around for things to pick up with the story. I'm trying to get fluffs started by ch.4-6 but it seems too soon and focred and would destroy the story. Please bear with me. I want to try and make this a long running story. First goal is more than 15 chapters. second is 25. third is 30. and so on and so forth lol. **

**Thanks again for reading :) and if you like one piece sanjixnami pairings please check out my other fanfiction called "Seasons."**

**-Rusala**


	4. Guardians

Sakura emerged the from shower feeling relaxed and fresh and dried herself off. She made her way back into what would be known as her room and noticed, on her bed, were different sizes of shirts and bottoms, laid out for her with a note on top.

_"Sakura, we weren't sure whose clothes you'd fit best or prefer for the time being. Please choose what ever you like and meet us in the kitchen. -Yamato"_

Sakura lifted a few articles of clothing and began sifting through what fit and what didn't. For lean men with well proportioned bodies they sure had a lot of loose clothing. There were the occasional tight fit shirts but she wasn't too keen on the idea of clothes clinging to her. She practically grew up on baggy clothes that her 'father' gave her so baggy was always a good choice. She dug around a bit more before she finally felt satisfied with her choice. A loose, yet figure flattering grey shirt and brown cargo jeans which fell off her hips a bit. Sakura had to admit that these were the best clothes she had worn in a long time and liked the feel of it. But her thoughts were soon interrupted by the familiar shrieking of a smoke alarm; and on instinct ran downstairs.

Her heart was racing. If there was smoke in the house she was definitely going to get another beating. Her 'father' was probably too upset to summon her and decided to cook or heat food up on his own. What was today's punishment going to be? Sakura was terrified to know, but if she didn't go into the kitchen now, her punishment would be much more severe later.

As she entered the kitchen, her fear had risen a bit more as she saw three men in the kitchen. Why were there three men in her house? Where was her 'father'? Was he going to come up from behind and beat her? Were these men going to help him deliver today's punishment? Her mind raced at the speed of light until she realized where she was. This wasn't her house. She met these men earlier in the day and she was going to stay with them now.

She trembled from the left over fear but also from relief as she examined the kitchen. Yamato was sitting on a stool against the island with a cook book and an exhausted expression. Genma had opened the windows to let the smoke out and run his burn marked hands under cold water. And Kakashi only shook his head and said, "I told you to let me do it."

"What ever…I just wasn't watching it…" Genma grumbled.

Sakura's heart still pounded against her chest. She really had it bad if she thought she was back home. It didn't help that the house had a familiar feel to it but it was worse that the design on the outside was the same. Yamato had caught her image from his peripheral vision and gave her an apologetic smile.

"Ah, sorry, Sakura. This guy over-seared the chicken breasts and it started to get smoky in here. I hope we didn't scare you with a false fire alarm."

Kakashi turned around to grab the cook book when he noticed what Sakura was wearing. He felt so much pride well up in him as she slowly inched herself into the kitchen. That was _his_ shirt she was wearing. Those were _his_ pants she subtly pulled up from falling. But most of all, with a wrinkle of his nose, that was _his_ scent she washed herself with. Kakashi immediately began to mentally slap himself. He didn't even know her. So why was he thinking about her like that? If those thoughts didn't say 'creepy pervert' then what did? He cleared his throat and looked through the pages of what Genma had been trying to cook and sighed.

"Even _I_ can't save this. You really messed it up." he said playfully.

"Well excuse me for trying. You haven't cooked anything in the past four months so I took over for the evening." muttered Genma.

"Do I look like your mother?" Kakashi mused.

Kakashi made his way to the stove and grabbed the pan by the handle and changed course towards the trash bin. Just before he dumped the overly seared chicken, Sakura spoke up.

"I-I'll fix it…"

Not one, not two, but all three men looked at her curiously. Did she just try to make conversation? They had to admit, it was a little surprising judging from her behavior all day.

She really didn't like the attention she was getting and started to fidget where she stood.

"…I-if its ok with you…I'd like to fix it…"

"I don't think its possible Sakura. The poor thing is beyond saving." spoke Yamato with a defeated expression.

"I will fix it." she said in a now quiet, yet desperate tone. She still hadn't gotten over her miniature 'episode' and felt like she was being pulled back in. She had to fix the ruined dish or a fist or something worse would find her later.

Kakashi carefully maneuvered the pan back onto the stove and stepped to the side for a careful observation as did Yamato and Genma. Hesitantly, but surely, Sakura whirred through the kitchen as if it were her very own. She was grateful for Yamato's, very detailed, tour of the kitchen earlier that evening. She only needed to see it once in order to remember where everything was. She grabbed a few items from the refrigerator and spices from the cabinets and began to work at the chicken.

Yamato wasn't sure what to think. Sakura was like a ghost living in a shell as she went about her business. Her her eyes were very, blank. Empty perhaps. And her expression, well, it was the same blank expression she had been sporting for most of the day. But it was clear that something was up.

Genma couldn't help himself from moving close to the intoxicating aroma that had begun to fill the room. It was mouthwatering. Kakashi was a good cook, but Genma could never find himself deeply salivating like he was with just the scent of what Sakura was fixing.

As a few oil bubbles splattered against her skin, subconsciously she used her fingers to trace the burns away and Genma gawked at her multitasking. It was the most chakra control he had seen from her all day. A few more oil splatters hit her arms but she never flinched and continued to trace them away. Seeing as he was probably in the way, he tried to leave his spot when Sakura gently reached out her left hand and grabbed onto one of his - rubbing her palm slowly and delicately onto it. Her chakra induced fingers felt very soothing to his burns. As she poured some vinegar into the pan with her right hand, her fingers ghosted across his chest towards his other hand and began doing the same thing.

Genma couldn't help the light blush creep its way across his cheeks and felt very surprised with himself. He never blushed, so why was he blushing now? Its not like he hasn't been touched by a woman before. He's been with countless of women in the past and their touch was all the same; except for Sakura's. It was different. The feeling, the warmth, the chakra, and the fit. Genma didn't want her to stop, but she did as she continued fixing the food by adding lemon juice.

Kakashi and Yamato were very curious about Sakura's actions. From what they've seen all day, she flinched at any light tap or nudge to and from her; so why was she touching Genma as if she weren't afraid? The more they watched her, they noticed that she wasn't really there mentally. She had zoned out completely as if she were re-living something.

"Sakura…?" Yamato asked hesitantly. Genma had taken a few steps back foreseeing the outcome of trying to catch her attention.

"…Sakura?" he called again.

No one made any motion towards her. They knew if they touched her she was going to flinch, tremble, and possibly even cry. The situation wasn't favorable either since she was working with a hot stove and food. The last thing they wanted was to have her hurt herself.

She stretched to the cabinet above her and, after a few stretches too many, finally grabbed three serving plates with a satisfied sigh and set the plates against the counter; decoratively filling them with the dish she had just saved. She left a certain amount in the pan for herself for later and started to take her leave.

"Sakura? Where are you going?" asked Genma

No surprise when she didn't respond but her actions were really, odd. As she turned to the left just outside the doorframe they knew she was heading upstairs, but why? Did she still not trust them? That shouldn't have been it because she would have taken food with her instead of leaving it out. Was it because she was scared to eat with them? It could have been a possibility. Considering the chase and Naruto's punch, maybe she feared they would use the kitchen utensils against her.

Surprisingly, as they shuffled out of the kitchen to talk to her she was already gone. She was too quick and quiet and was already in her room. They had to hand it to her, she had basic stealth in the notch of her belt.

"Janken." Genma spouted quickly.

"What? Why?" asked Yamato.

"Someone has to see what's up. Going all together would seem like a pack of hungry wolves cornering a rabbit."

Kakashi and Yamato looked at one another with an 'oh yea…' look.

"Alright, one round. First one to lose goes up." suggested Kakashi.

Yamato smiled in confidence and spoke. "Alright, seems fair enough. But I have to warn you I'm-"

Neither Kakashi nor Genma listened to him. They had already begun the game and right as they were about to call "Poh!", Yamato tensed, and on instinct, threw out a fist for 'rock'. To his dismay, Kakashi and Genma had both chosen 'paper' and grinned.

"Paper beats rock. See you in a few." said Kakashi in an amused tone.

"H-Hey! That's not fair! You guys started without telling me until it was too late. I want a re-match."

"No can do. The longer we take, the hungrier Sakura becomes. You heard her stomach earlier." Genma said, using Sakura as the guilt card.

"... ... Fine..." Yamato exhaled in defeat.

Yamato made his way up the stairs as Kakashi and Genma waved him off. Its not that Yamato didn't want to talk to Sakura, he didn't know what to say to her. Up until now, his friends were with him to help conversations move along so it was easier. As he reached her door, he found himself stopping right before knocking when he thought he heard sniffling. Was she crying? Oh boy... things were definitely going to be difficult now.

He gave a light knock on the door and cracked it open, trying to be as cautious as possible. He stuck his head in and searched for her.

"Sakura?"

She didn't say anything, but instead stood up abruptly and moved to be within his view. To Yamato's relief she hadn't been crying and wondered about what he thought he heard.

"May I come in?"

Sakura's eyes never left the floor but she nodded to Yamato to enter. Yamato felt really lucky she wasn't trembling and felt a little more relaxed about being alone with her now. In the most non-threatening tone he could muster, he spoke.

"Why did you leave? Aren't you hungry?"

"…I'll wait…"

Wait? Why? Yamato couldn't understand her response and decided to press it further.

"May I ask why?"

Sakura stayed silent for a few moments as she debated if she should answer his question. She still had her doubts about these men, no matter how nice they were being to her. It wasn't in her nature to trust men so easily, but she knew she still needed to get used to talking with them. With a hesitant voice she spoke.

"…I'm not…supposed to…"

"Not supposed to?"

Sakura gave him a nod and Yamato felt like his heart was being stabbed at. Just how bad were things at her household? He's heard of women serving men first and then eating with them, but never, women waiting until the men were finished before they ate.

"Sakura, we would like to eat dinner with you very much. You went through the trouble of saving us from starving so please come down."

Sakura looked at his face, desperately trying to comprehend his invitation. She was only doing what she was taught over the years. It was imbedded into her body that she wasn't allowed to eat until her 'father' was done and asleep. It was one of the many laws that dictated her growing up. When she lived with her 'boyfriend', it didn't bother him that she ate way after him. He actually liked that she didn't eat with him and never questioned it. So she was more than used to eating in solitude. She opened her mouth to protest when Yamato stopped her.

"I will not take anything indicating a 'no' for an answer." Yamato said, with a gentle expression.

He held out a hand for her and motioned his head towards the door, hoping she would take his gesture. He had to admit his statement sounded demanding, even with a non-threatening tone, but it was the only thing he could think of to say. He wouldn't be surprised if she rejected him completely and hid in the bathroom, but there was no way around it. He knew that no matter how many times he would ask, she wasn't going to accept, so he had to take a direct approach. But to Yamato's surprise, Sakura slowly made her way towards him with an understanding nod and made her way towards the kitchen.

* * *

"That. Was. Amazing!" cried a happy Genma.

"Yes that was very delicious. Thank you for the wonderful dinner Sakura." spoke a very satisfied Yamato.

Sakura didn't say anything but the relief on her face said a lot while her eyes showed how much she liked hearing their praises.

"I agree, dinner was very delicious." said Kakashi as he sat back to relax in his chair.

"How do we know you're not lying? Your mask looks like it never moved." said Genma accusingly.

"I eat fast, you know that. I guess I'm just too _ninja_ for you. But, how do we know _you're_ not lying? Your senbon never left your lips." Kakashi teased.

"You know I can eat perfectly fine with it in my mouth. I'm just too pro for you to appreciate it."

"Really? You don't say?" Kakashi said, with a fake, surprised tone.

Genma began to bicker as Kakashi continued his little teasing. He always liked getting a rise out of Genma because it was easy and just too fun. Yamato had pressed himself between Genma and Kakashi, trying to clam the situation a little. He didn't know if this was going to scare Sakura or not so he was trying his best to solve it. Genma hung his body over Yamato's as he bickered more towards Kakashi, who in return flicked Genma's nose and took his senbon.

Sakura didn't know what to think of the situation as she slowly cocked her head to the side in deep thought with raised eyebrows and curious eyes. Something about the scene before her seemed natural. It was obvious these men were very good friends despite their bickering. She would have been lying to herself if she thought it wasn't an interesting sight. Somewhere within her, something really small, wanted to get along with these people, but of course she wasn't going to let her guard down. Maybe things weren't going to be the same, but she didn't know that. She still couldn't trust them and still feared a lot of things. But maybe, this really was the ray of light she had been hoping for.

Sakura quietly took the dishes from the table and headed straight into the kitchen with stealth that caught all three men by surprise. Where was her over bearing chakra they had gotten so used to? It was easy to tell where she was in the house with it but now if felt like she had completely disappeared.

"Eh? Where did she go?" called Genma.

Genma flashed a look of confused towards Yamato and Kakashi. Did Sakura somehow manage to give them the slip? There was just no way. Tracking, fighting, analysis, you name it, they did it. So how was one seventeen year old able to slip away undetected? Even if their attention had been divided they still would have noticed.

Kakashi wrinkled his nose and sighed in relief.

"She's in the kitchen."

"You know, I don't know if that nose of yours is a good skill or just plain weird…" deadpanned Genma.

"It gets the job done when needed."

"Hey, um, I don't mean to change the topic but we need to talk about Sakura on a long run basis…She's still seventeen…so who is going to be her guardian?" asked Yamato.

Kakashi and Genma stiffened. They had not thought that far yet and it was clear as day how much they didn't want to be considered her guardian. It wasn't because they didn't like her, but the title 'guardian' basically was a pseudo role for being her parent. In her _condition,_ it would mean that eventually a bond would form that would only label you as a parent or in rare cases, a lover.

"Can't Tsunade be her guardian?" Genma asked.

"She's not living with her Genma. Think before you speak." deadpanned Yamato.

"Well excuse me. Why don't you be her guardian then? You brought it up."

"I wouldn't mind but first, we need to have a well thought out conversation and a proper-"

Again, Genma and Kakashi didn't bother to listen to what Yamato had to say and spoke.

"Thanks Yamato. I'm sure you'll make a great guardian." they said in unison.

Yamato, clearly irritated, plastered on his ghoul eyes and expression towards Kakashi and Genma.

"Listen to everything I have to say first and stop pulling fast ones on me. This is serious."

The look wasn't scary at all but it still sent chills down one's spine.

"Ok, ok no more fast ones…for tonight." Genma sniggered.

Yamato sighed and released his ghoul-like expression and continued to speak.

"Aside from day jobs, there are missions to take into account and then there is also her education. She also needs _training_ and she's too old to go to the academy. We still need to consider her mental state as of now. She can't socialize with people very well and I think she has more of a problem with men than she does with women. Also, Tsunade said she would take Sakura under her wing at the hospital but we don't even know when, so I'm assuming its after she gets her GED."

"Then I'll do it. I have more free time than both of you." spoke Kakashi.

"No you don't. You're just as busy as-"

"But I finish much faster, if you don't mind me saying." interjected Kakashi with his carefree tone and all too familiar eye crinkle.

As much as Yamato didn't want to admit it, Kakashi was right. After eliminating the senior and junior status between them, they became equals; but even so, Kakashi was always faster and efficient when getting things done. But then a light-bulb lit up in Yamato's mind.

"Genma, you're the only one who hasn't said why you can or can't be her guardian. Speak now."

"What? But Kakashi just said that he'd do it and you said you don't have a problem either."

"But you said nothing at all. So?"

Genma stiffened a little under Yamato's and Kakashi's stare. They should have known him by now but apparently he had to speak his peace. Just as he opened his mouth to try and stall his response, he was saved as Sakura walked back into the dining room, drying her hands against the back of the shirt she wore. Genma took this chance to look at his watch and make his great escape.

"Oh, would you look at the time. I have to report to the Hokage Tower. Thank you again for the lovely dinner Sakura, and I'll see you all in the morning." he spoke gleefully.

'_That jerk…'_ Kakashi and Yamato thought.

What was the Hokage Tower? Sakura didn't know but she nodded and Genma was on his way. Kakashi sat back down with an eye crinkle he knew Sakura didn't seem to like, as Yamato spoke.

"Sakura, we need to talk about something important. Please, have a seat."


	5. The guilt card

**Thursday Morning 5:37am**

Pakkun scurried toward Kakashi's room as Sakura left hers. He needed to sleep and he sure as hell wasn't getting it in Sakura's room. As any dog would do, Pakkun scratched at the door of his master's room, only louder and harder, and was surprised that Kakashi had already been awake. Wasn't it like five or six in the morning?

"You look like crap." mumbled Pakkun as he dragged his paws into Kakashi's room.

"Thanks. So do you... I thought you were sleeping in Sakura's room since you clearly didn't want to go back last night?" Kakashi said in a sleepy voice.

"I regret my decision. Send me back." he said, as he lazily hopped onto Kakashi's bed and curled into a ball.

Kakashi made no effort to send him back, but instead, crawled into bed with his little pug with an exhausted sigh.

"Kakashi, every hour she woke up, glanced around the room, checked the closet, looked in the bathroom and under the bed, and peeked outside the window. When she's asleep the flow of her chakra is steady and very pleasant but as soon as she wakes up its heavy and unbearable. I could barely sleep." said Pakkun with a sleepy grumble.

"No kidding…she flooded the whole house." Kakashi yawned.

Kakashi steadied his breathing and slowly drifted back to sleep, but found himself shooting up to a sitting position. There it wasn't. Her chakra completely disappeared again. Kakashi wrinkled his nose desperately and then calmed down. She was still in the house but what was she doing? Her scent wandered into the kitchen, then the living room, and then into the laundry room. Soon after, she passed through dining room and walked into the day room, and then into the open study. Just what was she doing? Kakashi really didn't want to leave his bed to find out but it was a little annoying. She had kept him up all night with her fluctuations and now, her wandering scent would constantly grow strong and then faint, and then strong again. Granted he liked her scent, he just wanted to sleep, but this was torture.

He laid back down and steadied his breathing once more and tried to go back to sleep, but last night's conversation kept ringing in his ears.

* * *

**Last Night:**

"Sakura, we need to talk about something important. Please, have a seat."

Sakura nodded and slowly made her way towards the seat she sat at for dinner. She wasn't sure if this was going to be bad or good so she prepared herself for the worse.

"Sakura, you're still a minor and you can't go around without a guardian. Considering that you left your real guardians, under normal circumstances, we would need to see them, and have them sign legal documents stating that they give up all parental responsibilities to Kakashi or I."

Sakura flinched a little when she heard she would need to get into contact with her parent. She couldn't stand the thought of seeing him again. He was great at playing the role of an amazing man and seeing as though Genma was easily swayed into Kakashi's teasing, no doubt he'd be the first victim to believe that monster. Maybe Kakashi or Yamato wouldn't be as easily swayed but even the toughest man can grow to like him.

"But, because you're _special_, we can have the Hokage void that process." Yamato continued.

Sakura suddenly felt relieved that she didn't have to go back. But what was a Hokage? Genma mentioned something about a Hokage Tower before leaving but she didn't have a clue. Was it a person? A machine?

"…I'm sorry… but…what is a Hokage…?" she hesitantly asked.

Kakashi cleared his throat and tried to sound as enthusiastic as he could.

"You see Sakura, the Hokage is a person who is special, like us. They're generally the strongest in the city and in order to be chosen, you also have to be very renown. They protect the city and overrule many incidents and legal matters as they see fit. They also provide _special_ training and work opportunities for people like us and regular people as well. They are the pillar of this entire city to be specific."

Sakura nodded as she processed this information and Yamato continued his earlier conversation.

"Anyways, to make a long story short, we can sign all official documents without your current guardian's assistance."

"…ok…"

After a moment of silence Kakashi then spoke up, still trying to sound enthusiastic.

"Sakura, we need you to pick which one of us you want for a guardian. Tomorrow, before we go shopping, we're heading straight to the Hokage Tower to fill out the necessary documents. If we wait we'll be losing out on time and perks so we figured its best to get things done as soon as possible."

"…perks..?"

Kakashi spoke again, using the same tone and this time, it sent chills down his spine and gave him goose bumps. He sounded too damn creepy in his opinion.

"Yes. There are a lot of things that are waved for us, of course for reasonable purposes such as education, extended work absence, and various different situations that call for it. Of course we pay bills, go to work, wait in lines, and do everyday things like every other person in the world. So don't let the idea of 'perks' give you the wrong impression."

After another thirty minutes of discussing perks, missions, the Hokage, shinobi, the Hokage council, the Daimyo, and other every piece of information they could give her, it was nice to see her put on a thoughtful expression. Aside from having a blank face and eyes filled with different emotions, this was a real expression that played across her face as she nodded and took in every bit of info.

To their surprise, based on what they told her, she made the most impressive deduction Kakashi and Yamato had ever heard. What really caught them off guard was how she carried herself as she summed it up. Where was the young woman who couldn't make eye contact? Where did her fear and uneasiness go? Did she really not have any sort of extended education? Tsunade was right when she said she thought Sakura was a little too smart. Their thoughts were brought back into the conversation as it seemed like her deduction was coming to an end.

"-and I just need to think of the social structure here as a caste system. I understand now. I didn't know about the political standpoint that involved people like us. So then based on-" Sakura stopped talking with wide eyes.

Catching how bold she was, she placed a hand over her mouth and looked back down towards the table. How could she have let herself get comfortable enough to speak out like that? Talking too much was a sin and she really began to worry about her situation. It always happened that if she spoke too much she would receive punishment. She wasn't as worried earlier when she spoke with Tsunade since she had nothing to lose. She would have been hit or slapped, and then she would have been thrown out of the hospital. Sure it was scary, but it wasn't like she was going to stay with the woman for everyday torture. Her situation right now, however, was terrifying. She still couldn't trust these men so easily, they were in a house that looked exactly like her last one, and to make matters worse, from what they explained, and to her twisted fears, they could keep her here against her will and deliver normal punishment by ten fold.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to speak without being given permission. I promise it won't happen again and I'll behave myself."

And there it was. Complete fear filled her face and her eyes glanced around as if searching for a way out. It was such a drastic change from being cautious and timid, to confident and insightful, and then to fearful and apprehensive. But at least she wasn't trembling or crying.

Yamato gave her a reassuring tone and a warm smile.

"Sakura, you don't need permission to speak. You have free will and a voice of your own. No one can dictate you or stop you from speaking your thoughts but yourself. So don't be afraid to speak. Everyone has a past they fear but, you're in a safe environment now, so please keep that in mind and speak what you want, when you want. We actually like hearing you talk."

What was it about these people that felt a little relaxing? Sakura had only known them for a day but hearing these words made her body feel warm. The very gender she held fear towards were oddly comforting and very calming and to her surprise, she hadn't been trembling. When was the last time she trembled today? The smoke alarm incident right? Was it just Yamato's reassuring words that made her feel calm? He did get her to eat dinner with everyone. She wasn't trembling when he visited her room. It was weird. Something about Yamato seemed…very warm…almost motherly. Wait, was it even possible for a man to be motherly? Was it even possible for her to feel like warming up to a man in just one day?

And there was that feeling again. That tiny feeling of wanting to reach out to them. The want to get along with them, the want to accept them into her life, and the want to trust in them. Sakura's thoughts were interrupted as Kakashi spoke.

"It's getting a little late so why don't you go and get some rest? Just, think about which one of us you want for a guardian before you go to bed."

That eye crinkle again. Somehow every warm feeling she had was pushed to the back of her mind as she thought about Kakashi. Why did he wear a mask in his own home? Was it because of her or did he not trust anyone? But seriously, what was with the eye crinkle? His enthusiasm earlier sounded weird too and looking at the eye crinkle made Sakura feel even more skeptical of this man. She couldn't tell if it was supposed to be genuine smile that was being hidden or if it was it full of malice? It was just, weird.

She slowly stood up and gave them a good night nod, and headed straight to her room with Pakkun following close behind.

* * *

**Back in Kakashi's room at 5:40 am**

'_Now that I think about it…I sounded like some creepy man trying to use candy to kidnap a child…'_ Kakashi thought.

Kakashi groaned as he flopped onto his belly and buried his face into his pillow. Not only was his enthusiastic voice embarrassing, the masked smile probably didn't help either.

* * *

Sakura glanced at the clock in kitchen when ever she would pass by or through. She was still hung up on her normal routine from her last home that she had cleaned the house and washed the clothes and ironed them as well.

It was now 7 am and it was time Sakura started making breakfast. It was a rule to have breakfast done and ready to be consumed by 7:30. In her old home, her 'father' always woke up at 7:30 every morning, always expected breakfast the moment he entered the kitchen, always ate and scrutinized her, and always got ready for work and left. A huge part of her still felt dictated by the man even though he wasn't around.

Cracking a few eggs into the frying pan and placing a tray of bacon into the oven, Sakura's thoughts wandered around. She still needed to pick a guardian between the three men she was now living with. Genma was clearly not a choice because he seemed a little, hyper. Although she did find herself a bit relaxed around him, he was more like one of those funny uncles that everyone loved and bickered with on some sort of sitcom. She couldn't see any hint of responsibility in him. Her only two choices left were Yamato and Kakashi and her thoughts were leaning more towards Yamato. Kakashi was still really shifty in Sakura's book and there was this huge air of mystery surrounding him. He definitely didn't seem trustworthy but at the same time she couldn't understand this weird pull she had towards him. But who was she kidding? She hasn't spent enough time with any of them to make proper judgments.

She placed the fried eggs onto a serving dish and started mixing a batter for pancakes as she continued to think about her situation. In the end, its just a position, right? She shouldn't have needed to think too hard about it. They were only stepping in to legally baby sit her until she was considered an adult. She thought about last night's conversation and realized that they never said what age was considered an adult. Back where she used to live, the age of twenty was the marker for being considered an adult and the city east of that was eighteen. What about this city? Surely the discussion of shinobi, came up and the age of eighteen was the marker, but she wasn't a shinobi. Did that mean she would have to wait another three years in order to be labeled as an adult?

She flipped a few pancakes and motioned to take the bacon out of the oven. The hickory smoked scent and light sizzling sounds from the bacon filled the kitchen. She set the tray upon a cooling rack on the counter and returned to the rest of the pancakes and batter.

Sakura sighed heavily as she came to a final decision on her guardian.

'_I guess I'll pick-'_

"Yo! Good morning Sakura! Is that bacon I smell?" called Genma as he entered the kitchen.

Sakura jumped a little where she stood but quickly regained her composure.

"…D-Did you just get back?" she said hesitantly

Genma was shocked. She started a conversation with him. Sure she was hesitant, and never looked at him, but this was huge progress. Just what happened after he left last night? His face lit up with joy and let a yawn leave his lips just before talking.

"Yup. I had a late shift last night. So what are you making?"

"…pancakes, eggs, and bacon…its nothing special…"

"Nothing special? Sakura this is like a gourmet breakfast. No one cooks in the mornings. It's usually a fend for your self situation."

Genma moved towards the bacon and failed to hear the still sizzling noises coming from the tray. As he plucked a piece of bacon between his thumb and index finger, he grazed the searing, hot tray.

"Ah-ah! Hot!" he yelped as he ran to the sink.

His little outburst startled Sakura and her hands began to tremble. The last time she heard those words, hot contents including a hot pan were pressed against her arms. She quickly rushed over to Genma and began apologizing at the speed of light while she healed his fingers. Genma could clearly see how terrified she was, but despite that, she came to his aid for something as simple as a little burn on his finger tips. He could understand her help from last night as he was stupid enough to grab the sides of the pan with his hands, and not by the handle, leaving a lot of burns; but this morning was just two finger tips. Cold water and a touch of aloe Vera gel would have been fine.

"Sakura…?" he said quietly.

She didn't make eye contact with him. She finished his fingers quickly and returned to the stove to remove the already cooked pancakes from pan, and onto the serving plate that held the others. Shakily, she poured more pancake batter into the pan and rubbed her hands against her thighs; praying they'd stop shaking. She still had a long way to go and she knew it. A whole day with them wasn't going to fix the demons that haunted her.

Genma cautiously moved closer to her called to her gently.

"Sakura, please turn and look at me."

Sakura hesitantly turned towards Genma but didn't look at him. Her eyes shifted to the counter but she could see Genma standing three feet from her.

"Sakura….please, look at me." he said, sounding a little desperate.

Sakura's gaze slowly made their way to his face and was greeted with a relieved expression. He then pulled on a big grin that seemed to live upon his face and spoke cheerfully.

"It's all good Sakura. I'm fine. See?" He said as he held out his fingers to her. "May I see your hand?"

Sakura looked down towards Genma's fingers and back up to his face, unsure of what was to come. He still held out his fingers for her to see and after a moment, she slowly reached out her hand. She was embarrassed and scared at how her hands trembled as they made their way into Genma's view; though she still kept them at a good distance from him.

"Reach out a little more." he urged.

Sakura still didn't know what was going to happen and looked at his face once more before reaching out a little farther. As her fingers were almost within touching distance to Genma's, he quickly, and lightly, pressed his hand against hers and withdrew, which caught her off guard. Where was the pain she was expecting?

Genma still smiled at her and spoke. "Good job at fixing my fingers doc. That, is your reward. A high five! But maybe that should be a low five since your arms aren't raised in the air…hmmm…nope, definitely a high five."

She looked at his face again, and found herself not as tense. What was with this guy? And what was with his smile? It was full of energy and very warm. To show this sort of expression to someone like her, it made her feel good, but sad at the same time. She wasn't sure just what she was feeling but she knew for sure she was much more calm than she was a moment ago. She quickly turned on the balls of her feet and returned to the pancakes which, to her relief, didn't burn.

.

Genma sat on a stool against the island in silence, and read through the newspaper he figured Sakura brought inside. Clearly she was the only one awake and he wasn't going to press into it, seeing though he probably gave her enough surprises for the morning. As he continued to read he let out a couple of silent yawns and his eyes felt really heavy. He was definitely going to bed as soon as he finished eating.

.

Right on the dot, Sakura had everything cooked and ready to serve at 7:30. Genma desperately looked to the food and to Sakura who started moving everything into the dining room. He was more than fine eating in the kitchen but something told him not to question her. She seemed to have been zoned out and Genma knew that was a tall tell sign that he could scare the crap out of her. So, being a good boy, he followed behind her in silence and took a place at the dining table.

His mouth was watering and his stomach was pulling, but his tired body wanted to skip breakfast. He placed some food onto his plate and gave Sakura a pleading look before she spoke.

"…we're not waiting for the others?…"

"Don't worry about them. They most likely won't be down for another two hours. We can just eat and wrap it-"

"Oh, so considerate of you _Genma_." called Kakashi, as he hauled in a sleepy Yamato that hung to Kakashi's back with his feet dragging across the floor.

This was…interesting…. Sakura had never seen something like this before. Clearly this house was full of surprises with these men she could only wonder what her day would be like.

"Good morning Sakura." spoke a pleasant Kakashi. He gave her nod and a lazy smile from under his mask as he dragged Yamato to the table.

Upon placing Yamato in his seat, Kakashi sat down and poked at Yamato's cheek.

"Oi." Kakashi said with an extra poke to Yamato's cheek, "Wake up. Sakura was kind enough to make us breakfast."

Yamato hummed and mumbled in his half induced sleep when Kakashi spoke again.

"Genma burned the wood carving you treasure so much."

Yamato's eyes sprung open and immediately glared at Genma.

"Did not! Kakashi, don't make things up! Sakura, help me out here. I was with you ever since I came home."

Sakura simply nodded as she was about to take her leave from the dining room table, still caught in a routine she was too used to when Kakashi spoke up.

"Sakura, where are you going?"

"..I…uh.."

"Please join us." Kakashi asked calmly.

Sakura glanced at the men who sat at the table. Genma had a piece of bacon hanging from his lips and a tired smile that welcomed her. Kakashi wore a tired eye crinkle and pulled out a chair for her, and Yamato, with a sleepy smile and drooping eyes nodded in agreement with Kakashi's invite. Sakura simply nodded and took her place in the seat Kakashi had pulled out for her.

* * *

**Thursday morning, in the dining room 8:15am**

"That was delicious and thank you for breakfast. Sorry but, I'm going to go to bed now." yawned Genma.

Sakura nodded and took the dishes into the kitchen and on queue, Kakashi and Yamato blocked Genma's path.

"You're not going anywhere. As payback for your little escape from last night's discussion, you're taking us _everywhere_ today." spoke Yamato with his ghoul-like expression

"No way. I'm exhausted. You guys can drive so take my car."

"Nope. You skipped out last night _and_ you didn't get to experience the night of torture we did." glared Kakashi.

"Night of torture?" Genma asked.

"Don't ask... So as for your punishment, you're staying awake. Besides, Sakura said last night she wanted you to be her guardian." Kakashi lied.

Sakura had yet to tell them her choice between Kakashi and Yamato, but this was going to be easy to sink Genma into taking them places while he and Yamato slept on the way there.

"She did? Really? Um, ok. Then this weekend we'll-"

"Nope. She said she wanted to do it today. She was so desperate to get things done today she trembled and cried." added Yamato. This was clearly another lie and he was definitely going to use Sakura as a guilt card for payback.

Genma gulped as he looked at his sleepy friends. He couldn't tell if they were pulling his leg or if they were actually being serious.

"Why do I get the feeling you're lying to me?" he muttered suspiciously.

"But we're not. See for yourself." Kakashi yawned.

"Sakura, can you come in here for a second." called a calm Yamato.

Sakura dried her hands against a dish towel she had washed earlier and gave them her undivided attention.

Kakashi cleared his throat and spoke.

"Sakura, please don't forget any important documents you have with you ok? Are you absolutely sure about your choice? Once the documents are signed there is no changing them. Well there is, but then there would be problems since we all live under the same roof."

Kakshi wasn't even sure if she had picked any of them yet but he took a risk in assuming. There was always a way to tweak the conversation in his favor when he was up against Genma. To really get things working in his favor, he hovered a hand behind Genma's head, making it look like he grew little bunny ears. Surely he was going to make it look like Sakura wanted Genma for a guardian.

Sakura nodded a little eagerly which even caught them off guard. Granted she didn't show much emotion, her eyes did look a bit excited to towards them. But really, inside, Sakura was curious at how Kakashi knew she made a decision already. Was he psychic or something? Well he did have special abilities, so that was a possibility. Somehow she felt like maybe she was regretting her decision. If he was able to read minds, did he feel upset about her choice? Did he not mind? She didn't know but she would just have to find out later.

To Genma's surprise she had been looking at him, though really she wasn't. Her attention fixed on the fingers Kakashi held up behind Genma's head. What was Kakashi doing? She'll never know. But her thoughts were broken when Kakashi spoke again.

"Ok then. Can you be ready in about thirty minutes? We're going straight to the Hokage tower and then we're going to go shopping."

Sakura nodded eagerly again. What was into her this morning? Was it because of Genma? Or was it because they wanted to eat with her again? Sakura didn't know but as uneasy as she felt with these men, she still felt a little comfortable with them. With nothing else to say or be heard Sakura turned on her heels and went back into the kitchen.

Yamato was laughing on the inside. Things were definitely working in his and Kakashi's favor. He was a little surprised at her reaction but it just made things all the more interesting for today's punishment towards Genma.

Yamato cleared his throat and spoke.

"See Genma, she chose you. You saw that eager nod of hers and the attention she showed you. Do you really want to disappoint her? You said so yourself you were with her this morning. She must have really appreciated your company if she could nod so eagerly. I think you made her choice definite."

It was Kakashi's turn to laugh inside. Yamato was really pulling the guilt card on Genma this morning. When working, Genma was pretty damn efficient and a good shinobi, but on his off time he was pretty damn easy and turned into putty with women.

"Ok, ok, what documents do I need?" Genma muttered.


	6. Shopping and Payment

**Thursday Hokage Tower 9:15 am**

"You liars!" Genma growled under his breath.

"I am no such thing. Are you sure you weren't imaging things this morning? You were pretty tired." Kakashi teased.

"I am still am but I heard you clear as day."

"Now now children we're supposed to be adults. One of us is going to be her guardian." sang Yamato.

"Don't patronize me. You're just as guilty as _he_ is." Genma hissed as he pointed at the back of Kakashi's head.

"It's not polite to point Genma." Kakashi chided. "Come Sakura, I'm sure the department we want is around that corner somewhere."

Sakura nodded and followed behind Kakashi through the large lobby of a tall office building. They had walked down a long corridor and passed many different doors with different titles and departments and Sakura wondered what else was in this building. She glanced towards Genma and Yamato who seemed to be bickering and looked back to Kakashi. He had his nose buried in green book today and Sakura was very curious at what he was reading. What type of book was it? Was it any good? Her thoughts were interrupted when she bumped into Kakashi's back and jumped back.

"…I'm Sorry…"

"For what?" he asked with a smile.

Did he not feel that? Wait, no, he did. Was it really that easy to pretend she didn't bump into him? Sakura really couldn't read this man at all. She didn't know what to expect but that didn't stop her from choosing him as her guardian. Why did she choose him? Yamato was clearly the better choice out of the three and after this morning, Sakura felt a little more warm towards Genma. But she went ahead and picked Kakashi. Why? Was it because he was too shifty that he seemed trustworthy? No that couldn't have been it. Shifty people were never trustworthy.

As she contemplated on why she chose him, she had a sudden flashback from yesterday's chase. Kakashi was the one that pinned her to the wall. His grip was strong but it didn't hurt. The onyx eye she saw that day was serious but it looked gentle. Why couldn't she look away from him?

'_I don't bully women Genma'_… Those words resonated in her ears. Kakashi knew she wasn't a guy. But his words... something about them gave her reassurance that maybe Kakashi was fit to be her guardian. He clearly stated that he didn't bully women, but it was still hard for her to believe. But the flat-out tone he used seemed to set the record straight that he wouldn't touch her.

'_I think it'll be ok…" _she thought.

"Ok, we have arrived." cheered Kakashi.

He pushed open a large white door which had paper covering the window and entered with Sakura following behind. Kakashi had Sakura sit on a chair amongst others that lined most of the walls in the little waiting room. A water dispenser and two fake, potted plants, another door, four side tables covered with magazines in all four corners, and a secretary's counter adorned the room. It wasn't very appealing but Sakura didn't mind. She helped herself to the magazines that rested upon the nearest side table while Kakashi spoke to the secretary. Shortly after she finished the first magazine, Yamato and Genma entered the room and Sakura wondered if maybe she read too fast or they were too slow? Genma still wore a frown on his face and Sakura tried not to make eye contact with him.

Kakashi turned towards the group as he waited for the secretary to return with the proper documents and spoke.

"If I remember correctly, you need one guardian and one proxy for the guardian. So Sakura, who would you like as your guardian?"

"…if its ok with you…could...you…be my guardian?" She asked hesitantly, as she pointed to Kakashi.

Her words surprised everyone. It was obvious how much she didn't trust Kakashi and they never expected that she would have picked him. Everyone thought that Yamato would have been her choice, seeing as though he was more calm and oh so patient with her; like a true parent.

"I don't mind at all. I feel honored you chose me." he said with that usual eye crinkle.

Really, Kakashi did feel good that Sakura had picked him. But why? It didn't make sense why he felt that way. He knew she didn't trust him and was extra cautious around him but picking him as her guardian felt like an accomplishment. He must have done something to show he wasn't as bad as she thought.

"And the proxy?" asked Genma.

"..." Sakura said nothing as she pointed to Yamato hesitantly.

Somehow Genma felt a little down in the dumps. He didn't have much interest in being her guardian or proxy but somehow he wanted to be picked, or at least considered.

"Ok, it's settled. I'm the guardian, Yamato is my proxy, and Genma is the annoying cousin that hangs around Sakura." Kakashi teased.

"Hey, that's not funny." Genma pouted.

"Of course its not. You're the annoying cousin. Annoying isn't funny." Kakashi teased again.

Genma walked up to Kakashi and began to pinch his cheeks and stretch them.

"If I'm the annoying cousin you're the single father that sleeps with his sleazy proxy." Genma grinned.

"Hey, I'm not the sleazy proxy, and don't bring me into this." chided Yamato.

"Mr. Hatake, I've brought back the forms for you. Could you please see to it that they are filled out?" called the secretary.

Swiftly, Kakashi grabbed the documents and began filling in everything on the clip board he was provided. But something caught Kakashi's eye when he looked at the form. Guardian number one held the title of 'father' and guardian number two held the title of 'mother'. Where was the proxy info box?

Seeing Kakashi's stumped face made Genma curious and he snatched the clipboard form Kakashi. Genma soon found himself breaking out into a ball of hysterics with tears forming at the corner of his eyes.

"Oh my! It looks like there won't be a sleazy proxy! Tell me Kakashi, since both you and Yamato are in this for the 'long run' who is the mommy? Yamato?" he laughed out

"What!?" called Yamato. Yamato jumped to see the documents but couldn't grab them from Genma.

"I can see it now. Daddy Kakashi and Mommy Yamato, sitting on the front porch growing old together in their respectable rocking chairs."

"Let me see dammit." growled Yamato.

"Sure thing 'Mommy'." Genma sniggered.

Genma made his way towards Kakashi and elbowed his arm. "Hey Kakashi, you certainly have a beautiful woman on your hands." he laughed out.

Genma couldn't stop laughing and Kakashi was desperate to get another form and rang the bell. The secretary returned with a courteous smile and spoke.

"Yes Mr. Hatake?"

"It seems there is a mistake with the forms I was provided. There is no mother figure. It is just us." Kakashi said as he pointed to himself and Yamato.

Genma had calmed down with the occasional chuckle leaving his lips as the secretary looked to Kakashi and Yamato carefully.

"Could you please give provide me with another form for us?" Kakashi asked smoothly.

The secretary blushed a deep crimson and nodded her head and ran towards the back of the room. Genma scoffed at Kakashi's audacity to flirt with the secretary in front of Sakura and looked away. The secretary immediately returned with new forms but there were three other secretaries with her. A blush on each of their faces as they eyed every man in the room.

"Well good morning ladies." Genma said as he flashed them a smooth smile.

Kakashi thanked his secretary and sat back down to fill out the next set of documents when he stopped in his tracks again. Two words that were placed every so boldly in the first statement were "**Legal guardianship**" and "**same-sex couples**". Kakashi stood up and motioned back to the counter where Genma had been silently flirting with the ladies.

"Mam, I'm sorry but there is another mistake. I am single. He is only playing the role of my proxy in case I'm not around." Kakashi said as he pulled Yamato close to him.

The women blushed more and stared intently at Kakashi and Yamato. They misunderstood the situation but that didn't stop their imaginations from running wild.

"What's with them?" Genma asked as he slid the clip board closer to him. Genma's eyes widened but then a sly smile crept to his lips.

"Oh, I see… so its like that?" Genma sniggered.

"Genma, don't you dare say anything." Kakashi said as he glared to Genma.

"Oh no, I have a good one for this."

"I mean it." warned Kakashi.

"Y-"

Bash. The door to the office opened and an energetic Tsunade ran inside.

"Good morning! Ah I see everyone is here! Hello Sakura!" Tsunade beamed.

"…good morning…" Sakura said, with a little enthusiasm behind it. Sakura had to admit that she missed the loud woman and wondered when she would see her again; but never expected it to be this soon.

"I thought I'd just come and pick you up myself! Think of it as a special honor to show my presence!"

"Where are you!" shouted a squeaky, female voice from the hall. Tsunade immediately made a dash behind the counter and hid.

A woman with short black hair and a black suit sauntered in, searching with desperate, yet angry eyes.

"Where is she?" she heaved.

"Yo' Shizune, long time no see! How goes-" Genma said cheerfully, but was quickly cut off by the woman he called, Shizune.

"Oh god, not you. Oh I uh, ahem, oh my, it seems Tsunade isn't in this room. I guess I'll-"

"Hey! You didn't even look for her!" Genma whined.

"-go and look somewhere else-" Shizune continued, pretending to ignore Genma

"Hey, listen when people talk to you!"

"-because she's clearly not here with this pervert."

Before Genma could retort back, Shizune was long gone and Genma fell in defeat. Pervert? That was Kakashi's title. All because of that accident that was Shizune's fault, she deemed Genma as a pervert. That wasn't fair play at all.

As soon as Tsunade assessed the situation to be safe, she jumped over the counter and spoke in a quiet tone.

"Nice going Genma. I knew I made the right choice when I recognized your chakra. Come everyone, to my office."

"I do not mean any disrespect Tsunade, but we're dealing with Sakura's guardianship documents and-" spoke Yamato but was cut off in mid sentence.

"You're filling out the wrong ones by coming here. This is for civilians. You're supposed to go to my office."

"Tsunade, I don't think-"

"My office, now." She hissed. "I don't want to get caught."

With a wave and an apology to the secretaries, Tsunade led the four through a series of hallways and into a guarded elevator very cautiously; peaking around corners or using Genma as a shield. It was a good fifteen minutes worth of sneaking around until they finally reached the largest set of doors Sakura had ever seen. Deep Oak wood in color with gold plated doorknobs. It screamed money.

Tsunade led them inside and Sakura looked at the room in curiosity. How could this room be circular? She was so sure that the building was large, square, and tall. There were no opportunities for it to have this type of structure in the building. If this were the top floor she would understand but it wasn't. There were still another good ten floors to go before they reached the rooftop. She didn't know anything about architecture so she decided to leave it at that when he heard someone speak up.

"Tsunade, we really need to get Sakura's things in order. We could have just stayed downstairs and then brought everything up here for-"

"New protocol. You're doing everything here." she bluntly stated.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow while Genma gawked at Tsunade. What was with that tone? She was either in a rush to get out of this office, like usual, or she was hiding something. Before any of them could speak Tsunade began filling out documents and spoke simultaneously.

"Two guardians and a proxy. Who is who?"

"Wait, what?" Kakashi asked.

"You heard me. Who is who?"

"Well we decided I was the guardian and Yamato was the proxy…wait why two guardians?" Kakashi asked.

"Do I have to spell it out? She's not a civilian and she's living with you three. If two of you aren't around who is going to look out for her? Besides, she can't be claimed as a civilian."

"But we can't claim her as a shinobi either." butted in Yamato with a slightly elevated voice.

It was very rare that Yamato spoke with such a brash tone towards Tsunade but she was rushing them and something felt off.

"We can change her status later but I'm marking her off limits until she receives proper training and a rank."

"You haven't even asked her if she wants something like this. She doesn't exactly know about the stuff involved. We gave her an extremely light explanation but not-"

"She'll be living with you so that's more than enough time to explain things thoroughly. She can decide later if she wants it or not but if I don't register her under shinobi, it'll cause an uproar with the council. They're already pissed we took her in without a thorough investigation. If you had the people from downstairs notarize everything before my signature then there would be a problem. So I'm using my personal seal and notary so Sakura can stay with you, under my protection."

Tsunade scraped her pen against the paper faster, and automatically picked Yamato as her second guardian and Genma as the proxy.

"Sign, print and date, all of you. Sakura, do the same on these yellow forms and give me your birth certificate and your social security card. You brought those right?"

Sakura nodded and proceeded towards the desk the woman sat at and nervously grabbed the pen. It felt like everyone in the room had been watching her and she didn't want people seeing her full name. She shifted her body slightly and signed her life away while hiding anything that gave her name away and handed the papers back to Tsunade.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow upon Saura's signature and glanced at her in deep concentration. Her look didn't last long as she started stamping, pressing, and stapling papers together and photocopied everyone's documents.

"Ok you're done, get out." Tsunade spat.

"What the hell? Can't you tell us why you're -" Genma barked but was cut off when Tsunade threw two black cards at him.  
Being the ninja he was he ducked and let them fly to Kakashi, who caught them with ease.

"Buy her what you want with that, on me. The other one is proof you can use that credit card. Along with your purchases show your jonin cards and you're good to go. Just don't rob me unless you want punishment."

Was she seriously giving them a black credit card for Sakura's expenses? Now things were really suspicious if Tsunade was forking out the big money and doing a rush job on things.

"Tsunade is there something we need to know?" asked Kakashi.

"Lots of things. Long story short, the council wants an interrogation and they don't like the idea of me taking an unknown pupil. I'm going to smooth it out as much as I can. Enough said. Get out, take her shopping, get her necessities, get her a pedicure or whatever, and most importantly, treat her like the delicate flower she is."

Tsunade gave Sakura an earnest smile and with the waves of her hands, she began to shoo them out of the room with their documents in tow.

* * *

"Where do women shop for clothes anyways?" groaned Genma

"I'm assuming the mall. Do you know, the mall?" Kakashi teased.

"I know what a mall is! But I'm talking about what stores? There are too many stores and different women have different tastes!"

Sakura said nothing as she listened to the conversation from the back seat of Genma's car. The mood seemed to have gone sour after their meeting with Tsunade and Sakura knew it was her fault. She was causing them trouble after they were nice enough to take her in for the evening and she felt extremely guilty. What scared her the most, was an interrogation. Would they arrested her for being a runaway? What if they took her back? She wanted to disappear but couldn't. Instead her chakra did and it was still something everyone wasn't used to. Every time she hid her chakra, it was like she disappeared from the face of the earth. Kakashi, Yamato, and Genma had to glance in her direction just to see if she was still in the car.

Just short of another awkward silence, Yamato spoke up with hesitance.

"Sakura, what is your style in clothing?"

"…I don't know….Am I supposed to know something like this?" she asked cautiously yet quietly.

Awkward. Very awkward. But Yamato wasn't going to give up. It was for the sake of all the men in the car that they figured out what she liked at least.

"What about shoes?"

Sakura looked down to her feet at the trashy shoes she normally wore and spoke without thinking. "What I have are ok…"

"No they are not ok. You need new ones." Genma blurted.

Kakashi sighed and closed his book. This was definitely going to be a long ride and a long, fruitless conversation by the way things were going.

* * *

Upon entering the mall Sakura froze in her spot at how huge it was. It looked about six stories high and she didn't like how open the area was. If it were packed with people, she'd blend in and steal from unsuspecting bystanders but there was barely anyone around. Someone was bound to recognize her without her hoodie and she slowly fidgeted closer to Yamato.

It was obvious at how uncomfortable she felt so it was best to just get in and get out of this place as soon as possible.

With a good pace, they swept through the mall of various shops which didn't seem to catch her eye, well, women's shops that is. She mainly found herself looking at the outside of men's shops and almost walking into them if Kakashi or the others hadn't stopped her.

It felt like forever had passed until they finally found a shop that seemed to have caught her eye. A woman's shop to be precise. The dark floorboards and adorning white, pink, and red decorations filled the shop and held a rustic feel. It was comfortable and it looked very affordable. She stopped before entering and looked to her guardians for permission who nodded in approval and she walked in, cautiously.

Genma jumped in joy and wailed in relief.

"She found a store! And for women too! Praise the lord!"

"I agree, I thought she was still going to insist on men's clothing. What about you Kakashi?" sighed Yamato.

Yamato and Genma looked to Kakashi but frowned at his absence. Did he follow Sakura inside? Well, at least someone was in there with her. Yamato let out a deep, long yawn which seemed very contagious and caused Genma to do the same.

.

.

Sakura's fingers trailed along the clothes as she quickly scanned around with her eyes. She had never worn women's clothes before and wasn't sure about where to start. There were a lot of simple shirts and jeans that seemed to just call to her but she didn't know much about women's clothing. Kakashi, being quiet, and observant, could see the hesitance in her face and the deep concentration in her eyes.

"Sakura, do you know what you want?"

A flush of pink crossed her cheeks slightly as she bit her lower lip, deep in thought. She was embarrassed at herself for her lack of knowledge and her lack of femininity. Though, should she have been worrying about that? Clothes were clothes and it didn't matter what she wore, as long as she had something to cover up.

Kakashi sighed and walked over to a shelf filled with tank tops and jackets, and began to pile different sizes over his shoulder one by one. With a nod of his head, he led Sakura into a dressing room and waited outside as she tried on the tops and jackets to find out her size. Each time she exited, she had an embarrassed look on her face as she was forced to speak about whether it was too tight too loose; and scared as Kakashi would stare and lightly touch the fabric. She flinched each time he motioned to her but after the fifth shirt and the third jacket, she was slowly getting used to his touch. It wasn't to scare her, but to test the clothes and check for room and growth space.

Kakashi had repeated the same process for her with jeans and shorts and Sakura felt extremely uncomfortable. He wasn't doing it on purpose, but she didn't know that. It was weird and a little scary. She didn't know if he was buttering his way in so that he could pounce or lunge at her when she least expected it, but she wasn't as frightened as she was before. If something was going to come, she would at least see it.

She walked back into the dressing room and began to shed the clothes she tried on and grimaced at her image in the mirror. The only real piece of clothing she wore as a woman was her bra and her underwear. She was grateful that her mother's left over undergarments fit her when she reached that age of development. She should have packed the rest before leaving but that wasn't an option when she left. Her mother... What would her mother think of her? Would she be happy for Sakura? Would she be upset that she left? It's been eleven years since she last saw her... Her thoughts were interrupted when Kakashi started to speak.

"How do the shorts feel? Too tight? I can go and get a bigger size if you-"

"Why are you doing this?" she asked quietly.

Kakashi leaned against the wall outside of her dressing room and popped open his book.

"What do you mean?"

"…Why are you helping me…?"

"Because it looked like you needed it."

"..."

"May I ask something? I hope I don't seem rude but, you've never worn women's clothing have you?"

There was a long silence and the rustling of Sakura, trying to take off or put on clothes had stopped. Kakashi's guess had been right and her silence confirmed it. Unable to concentrate on his book he closed it with a light thump and placed it in his back pocket, letting out a heavy sigh.

"I won't say anything about it if that's what you're worried about." he said reassuringly.

Kakashi heard a soft exhale of relief leave her lips and her rustling through clothes continued. Just as he wanted to pose another question she spoke which caught him off guard.

"…Women's clothing wasn't needed for someone like me…my last recollection of wearing something to indicate I was a female was about eleven years ago…I think…"

This was the most she had spoken to Kakashi at all. They took her in yesterday, but her long sentences were directed towards two or more people. Not an individual person. But why was she sharing this information with him? She could have kept her silence and limited forms of speech and he wouldn't have minded; but he thought it was best to keep her engaged in some sort of conversation.

"You don't have to share if you don't want to…." he said, in a smooth tone.

"…I…I should try…..to talk to everyone… If, in the end you throw me away or kill me…I would not have lost anything by it…"

Kill her? Whoa, wait a minute. Just what was going through this girl's head?

"Do you really think we would throw you away or kill you?" he asked with a concerned tone. He knew a lot of kunoichi who had this train of thought on missions, but not as a regular, everyday thought. This was a danger marker and as her guardian, he needed to assess her over all thought process.

"…It doesn't make sense…being nice to someone you don't know…"

"There are good people out there and you just happened to meet the bad ones first. You're not wrong to be suspicious and you're not wrong to think that way. But doesn't it get lonely? Hiding, keeping to yourself?"

"...its the only thing I know..." she said quietly.

"Then I guess we're including socializing into your lessons. To learn to accept the good and the bad in people." He said with an eye crinkle.

"...what about payment...?"

"Payment?"

"...I don't have money...If… if its my body you want…then I'll give it…I know a few things…so…" Sakura said. Her voice came out raspy and it shook.

Kakashi could hear the fear and uncertainty she tried hard to hide and he could only blurt the first thing that came to his mind.

"Sakura, don't ever offer your body to someone you don't care for. Ever."

Kakashi rushed out that last sentence and felt his blood boil. Just what did she go through that would make her think this way? It was obvious she was abused physically, but was she abused sexually as well? Was it by her family? That was the lowest of the low. No trust, no respect, no form of safety at all. Where pain, sex, and abuse were confused for love and affection. What about her time on the streets? Was she raped by people? Did she sleep with people for money? For her so called form of 'payment'? All of these questions burned in every brain cell Kakashi had and felt like he wanted to punch someone. Tsunade was right when she said Sakura was a mess but he didn't think it was to the point where she would offer her body to him.

Kakashi cleared his throat as he heard the lock on the door open and Sakura came out with her eyes lowered to the floor. He immediately changed the subject back to her clothes and grabbed what fit and searched high and low for the same sizes in different colors and shapes. He wasn't sure what she needed but girls somehow always needed a lot of clothes. But he kept at this mainly because he didn't want his thoughts roaming back to the idea of her being taken advantage of.

Kakashi made a double trip to the cash register which stunned the staff. There were about fourteen tank tops and shirts, four sweaters, two cardigans, five jackets, three hoodies, six pairs of shorts, and seven pairs of jeans. Sure the shop was affordable, but the massive amount of clothing he placed there accumulated to a hefty price and made the staff cry in joy. They offered a few scarves and hats at fifty percent off and a few free accessories which he gladly added to the pile of clothes.

When he flashed the cards Tsunade had given them, along with his jonin card, Sakura could have sworn the staff almost died in excitement. They offered their business cards to Sakura and Kakashi and referred them to other stores in the mall that would suit Sakura's style and needs and Kakashi thanked them ever so politely.

.

The bags were big and they were heavy, but Kakashi didn't complain. He carried them all and walked out of the shop to find Genma and Yamato taking a nap against one another across the shop. Kakashi had thought to ditch them with Sakura but he didn't want to carry everything by himself. So he did what any sensible friend would do, he slapped their faces awake.

"Ow! What was that for?" Genma cried.

"Yea, what gives Kakashi?" groaned Yamato.

"Well, I couldn't let you sleep here forever now could I? Sakura still needs to get her shopping done and I need your assistance with the bags."

"Bags?" Genma and Yamato asked in unison. They glanced to the floor and there they were. Bags. Big bags. Big bags that looked heavy. Big bags that meant manual labor. Big bags that meant, no nap.

"How about we take them to the car and you two shop some more? We shall meet back up with you guys as soon as we're done." asked Genma, hoping he could sneak away to sleep in his car.

"Nope. You two got a decent nap. We were in that shop for almost two hours. Lunch first then more shopping." Kakashi sang.


	7. Intelligence and Confidence

**Saturday August 11 9:45 am**

"Sakura-chan I wanted to see you! How are you!" came a familiar voice who had quickly burst into the kitchen.

Sakura had been washing dishes and was caught in an embrace from Naruto. He had forgotten about her delicate situation with people, but was soon reminded when she tried to press herself away from him in sheer terror. Her wide eyes, trembling hands, and the desperate attempt to escape with chakra infused fingers made Naruto quickly release her; which was a bad idea. She stumbled backwards and onto the floor but was pulled back up by Naruto. In a fight or flight response, she grabbed his arm ready to fight. Her fingers glowed brighter and pressed into his arm with one hand, and prepared to throw a punch his way with the other but stopped.

Sakura continued to trembled under his touch and he quickly released her once more. She slowly backed away and the sounds of heavy footsteps thumped around, racing, and as if right on queue, an exhausted Yamato and Genma burst into the kitchen. They had gone back to sleep right after breakfast due to another almost sleepless night, and they were irritated. Genma quickly grabbed the back of Naruto's shirt and dragged him away from Sakura while Yamato put his hands up trying to sooth Sakura with reassuring words through his yawns and sleepy spells.

Whatever he said seemed to work, and her trembling came to the occasional shudder, but she kept her distance from him due to his attire. A shirtless Yamato with a well fit body, and long sleeping pants only made her uncomfortable and made her think of bad memories.

A young man entered the house and caught sight of the current predicament and cleared his throat.

"How troublesome. Naruto what did you do?" called the man.

Sakura's gaze flicked to the unfamiliar person who spoke and observed him carefully. Jet black hair pulled into a spiky pony tail, narrow brown eyes, a lazy expression, and both ears adorned by studs. He wore a green flak jacket, along with a black long sleeved shirt paired with matching pants and sandals, and green lined mesh armor on his wrists and ankles. A metal plate with some sort of insignia had been seemingly sewn onto the shirt's sleeve. His clothes looked very _different _compared to what she has seen everyone else wear. Her eyes flicked to Naruto who wore similar looking pants and sandals and an orange shirt. Much more laid back but his clothes were very _different_. She looked down on her own clothes and then thought about what she had seen Kakashi, Yamato, and Genma wear. Jeans, slacks, polo shirts, button up shirts, and hoodies. Naruto and the unknown man's clothing were very _different _indeed. Before Sakura could make a further assessment of the unknown man, Naruto's voice cut into the silence.

"Ah, Sakura-chan I'm sorry I scared you. I didn't mean to." Naruto laughed nervously, as Genma continued to pull on the back of Naruto's shirt, with an unenthusiastic expression.

"…I'm sorry…" she said quietly.

"No, Sakura, you say do not say 'I'm sorry' in this type of situation. You weren't at fault, Naruto was." Genma yawned.

"…but I hurt him again…"

"So what? The little brat deserves it. He entered your home without invitation or permission and frightened you. That is more than enough reason to get upset, hurt him, or fear him." spoke Yamato in a soft, reassuring tone.

_Your home._ Was this really her home? The people she lived with were nice enough but she didn't have any right to call this place home.

"Hey, you're making me sound like a criminal here. And who are you calling a brat?" deadpanned Naruto.

"Technically you are right now. And so is that one." Yamato said, as he nodded his head in the direction of the other man. "It's called breaking and entering. What are you two even doing here?"

"Today's Saturday remember? We agreed we were using your house today to train."

Yamato and Genma gave one another that, 'oh yea…' look and sighed.

"Can you wait for Kakashi to come back?" Genma groaned.

"He's not here?" questioned the unknown man.

"Early morning assignment. He'll be back by eleven at the latest." Yamato said with a shrug.

"That's fine we'll wait. Hey, she's joining us too right?" Naruto said with enthusiasm.

She? What did he mean by 'she'? Genma and Yamato looked at one another, and then to Sakura, and then back to Naruto. Naruto talking about Sakura wasn't he?

"No. You're crazy if you think we're going to let her join." Genma said flatly.

"What? Why not? She has so much potential! Besides didn't granny Tsunade say she was going to take her under her wing?"

"Naruto, today is Saturday. We met Sakura on Thursday. What makes you think she started learning anything from Tsunade?"

"… Then why don't we make things easier and teach her the basics? The old lady will be very appreciative that we cut out the tedious stuff for her." Naruto beamed.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but are we talking about the young lady that is standing in the room with us?" spoke the unknown man.

Sakura, who had been listening, averted her gaze to the floor as the conversation had been directed towards her. She had no idea what the conversation was about and decided that her silence was the best option right now.

"Yes, we are." spoke Yamato with a polite voice.

Yamato lightly touched Sakura's shoulder, in which she flinched slightly, but she allowed him touch her. People here sure liked to touch one another didn't they? This was definitely a mountain she needed to overcome if she was going to be around anyone. Yamato, with his hand still on her shoulder, guided her closer towards the man she didn't know and spoke.

"Sakura, this is Shikamaru Nara. He's like Genma and I."

Another one? Sakura suddenly didn't like the idea of being close to this man. After Kakashi and Yamato's explanation, she knew a shinobi meant being_ special_, but it also meant having a lot of strength. Another person who could potentially lay down punishment by tenfold. She scolded herself about how she shouldn't think like that anymore. In the past two days she's been with them, they haven't tried anything, and introducing someone new shouldn't matter either…right? She shouldn't have been thinking about pain and punishment but instead, the good in people. Granted it was a hard thing to do, she should at least try.

Shikamaru lazily stuck his hand out for her to shake but she didn't get the gesture he was opting for. Instead, she hesitantly brought her hand towards his, and with a light press of her hand against his, she withdrew her hand immediately. She felt really proud of herself for 'reaching out' and fulfilling a 'high-five' with someone other than Genma.

Everyone in the room blinked at her in confusion, until Genma started to laugh, knowing just what happened.

"Sakura, don't low-five him. You have to shake his hand like this." Genma laughed out, as he grabbed Naruto's hand and begun to shake it.

Sakura's cheeks began to heat in embarrassment and looked down at Shikamaru's hand; which had yet to move. She did the wrong thing. Its not that she didn't know how to shake hands, she just never had the opportunity to do so. She had seen the action of it at the end of her father's at home meetings, when they came to a conclusion and used it as a form of gratitude, but she didn't think it was something used when introducing yourself.

She felt a little discouraged at her mistake and looked up to Shikamaru, who lazily looked at her and softened his expression. She looked back down to his hand, which waited there patiently for her to take, and slowly inched hers closer. When she finally made contact, she gently squeezed her hand around his and he did the same and slowly did the shaking occur. His hand was warm, soft but calloused at the same time, and felt very gentle against her own.

As she released her hand from Shikamaru's, the room began to feel pleasant and Yamato and Genma could only sigh in relief.

"Why don't we take this conversation into the living room?" Yamato suggested.

* * *

"No." Kakashi said flatly.

"Why! You've seen her in action!" Naruto groaned.

"Because I'm her guardian." Kakashi said flatly.

It wasn't long after everyone had entered the living room, and began the topic of training Sakura right off the bat, that Kakashi came home. Naruto had instantaneously bombarded Kakashi with the idea of training Sakura to be a shinobi and Kakashi was against it just as much as Genma and Yamato were.

"But she'll be eighteen next March. You won't be her guardian anymore."

"That's if she chooses the path of a shinobi. If not then I'm still her guardian until she's twenty. The only thing we're teaching her is just basic chakra control so she can live a comfortable life. Unless she tells us otherwise, the answer is no."

"Then why don't we teach her basic control today?"

"Because we want her to be more comfortable and relaxed. You know its not an easy thing and considering her age it'll be harder. Besides we're still planning on her study sessions so she can test out of taking G.E.D. courses."

"But she doesn't need it if she's going to be learning under Tsunade. She'll just get an automatic pass for becoming a medic and-"

"She's going to learn under Tsunade, true, but if she doesn't want to be a shinobi then she needs a regular education like anyone else to maintain a medic or nursing position."

Naruto pouted and grunted as he pulled his knees to his chest from where he sat. Kakashi was right and Naruto couldn't say anything against it. He looked to Sakura, who brought in a tray of drinks and suddenly an idea came to his mind. If Kakashi was going to refuse until she said anything against it, then he should ask her directly.

"Sakura, do you wanna be a shinobi?" He asked with a lot of enthusiasm.

Sakura had placed the tray of drinks onto the coffee table in the center of the room and took her seat, which had been originally between Genma and Yamato. Shikamaru said nothing as he grabbed for a glass of what looked like tea and sipped cautiously, seeing as the conversation could get sour soon.

A shinobi. The primary focus and military power under the command of the Hokage. People who specialized in unorthodox warfare including espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, and open combat in certain situations. People to assist in national disasters or everyday mundane tasks. Performing missions for a fee that can include: doing manual labour, acting as escorts, gathering secret information, retrieving stolen items, carrying out assassinations, etc. In times of war, they will come together to defend their city or land. A position not only limited to soldiers but to doctors and medics as well.

Sakura looked to the floor and thought long about it. Did she want to be a part of something like that? Honestly if you think about a shinobi or a ninja in today's time, it should seem far fetched, what with newly developed weapons and technology. If anything, they made any item become a dangerous weapon. A shinobi was as real as a cellphone. As real as a tv. And as real as an everyday person. But that didn't matter at this point. She was asked a question she didn't know the answer to. But wasn't she already an 'off limits' shinobi as declared by Tsunade?

"I…I don't know…" she said quietly. "…I believe I am incapable of becoming one…"

"It's all about confidence Sakura! You have potential!" beamed Naruto

"…that's not it…I don't-" Her words trailed off from her lips as she tried to think of her next set of words carefully. What was she going to say? I don't have a right? I don't have the resolve? I don't want to because I can't even handle when people touch me? When they get close to me? There were so many things she wanted to say but couldn't. The only thing she could say were words that surprised Naruto.

"…I'm damaged goods…I can't be fixed, and I'd be nothing but a burden…"

None of the older men in the room were surprised by her answer. They were more than willing to help her and heal her scars, which would take a long time, and this was something expected of her to say. They understood her problem and they knew she did too. The last thing they wanted was to put her into a situation which could make her _condition_ worse.

"Sakura don't talk like that about yourself! You are not damaged goods! You're awesome! You bested me in the alleyway! You're-"

Shikamaru placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder and shook his head. He didn't know Sakura, and he wasn't there when they met her, but he was smart enough to put the puzzle pieces together about Sakura's situation. Before Naruto could say anything more to make the mood sour, Shikamaru spoke in Naruto's place.

"If you ever change your mind that's another story. No one is forcing you to do anything. If you want, you can live a normal life and no one will say anything. So with that lets talk about your study sessions. I know someone who can pass your papers through faster since you're a civilian and-"

"She's not a civilian…." Genma spoke up.

"Then she's here illegally?" Shikamaru asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No. Her situation is...different. She's registered as a shinobi, but she's been marked 'off limits' until otherwise. Tsunade said so herself she would change Sakura's citizenship to a civilian if that is what Sakura truly wanted but I doubt she would do it. She has her heart set on Sakura being her pupil in every aspect."

"Isn't she abusing her title as Hokage?"

"…She is the Hokage?" Sakura asked.

"You didn't know?" Shikamaru asked questioningly

Sakura shook her head and Shikamaru looked to the older men in a scolding fashion.

"You guys didn't tell her?"

"I thought it was obvious and I'm sure they did too but lets get back to her education." Genma urged.

Shikamaru sighed and groaned. "Ah, you old men are troublesome."

"Hey who are you calling old?" Yamato, Genma, and Kakashi asked in unison.

"…so she needs to study and test out then? If you're so adamant about her being a civilian then she can just get an override and attend classes like everyone else…"

"That would be nice but her situation is a little, delicate. Home studying will be fine since we decided to split up her subjects. She can just test out and get her G.E.D right?" asked Yamato.

"I don't see an issue with that. But you guys are just cheating you know that?" Shikamaru said was a sly smile.

"It's not cheating. She's very smart already. She catches on fast and I believe the instructor would be too slow for her." Kakashi said confidently with his usual eye crinkle.

"Really now? Then does she just need to test out only? Has she ever been to school?"

"…Actually I don't know…Sakura, I'm curious, have you ever been to school before?"

Everyone turned to Sakura with curious looks upon their faces and inside, Kakashi and Yamato were dying to know. Her crazy deduction the other night proved otherwise on her educational status so their interest had been peaked.

"…once…maybe for a year…I know basic math and I can read and write… is that ok?" she asked nervously.

"I'll ask you for a sample on your writing later and we'll figure it out. So for basic math I'm assuming addition and subtraction. Right?"

"…I know more than that..."

"Ok then you know multiplication and division too? Then we'll start you off on…I don't know geometry then."

"..I know more than that…" she repeated softly. She sounded less confident and felt very pessimistic about her earlier response.

"Ok, then tell me, how far does your math go?" Shikamaru asked with a raised eyebrow.

"…may I show you?…" she asked hesitantly.

Now everyone was very curious. Genma jumped up from his seat and ran to grab some sort of paper and a pencil and placed it on the coffee table for Sakura. She kneeled on the floor and thought long about the last thing she learned and suddenly felt embarrassed. Her brain felt limp. What if she was wrong? It was obvious everyone but her went to school so she could be wrong and embarrass herself even more.

For the first time, to Kakashi, Genma, and Yamato's eyes, she showed a very concentrated expression on her face and bit her lower lip lightly while her hands scribbled a math problem she tried remembered. She hovered over the paper, casting a shadow on her work, but was soon finished. She flipped her paper over and pushed it to Shikamaru, who turned it over and eyed the paper questionably.

"Are you joking? You said you knew more than that but-" his words left his lips and a pained expression crossed his face.

Sakura immediately apologized and looked to the floor when Kakashi stood to look at her paper. Kakashi raised and eyebrow and looked at Sakura again.

"What am I looking at here?" Kakashi asked skeptically.

"I'm sorry. I'll start over in addition if you'd like. I tried to remember the last thing I learned and-"

"Calm down, I'm sure its not as bad as you think." Yamato said in a soothing tone. He stood up and walked towards the paper and stared very intently at it. He too looked at Sakura with the same pained expression Shikamaru wore and handed the paper back to Kakashi. Yamato walked out of the living room in a quickened paced and muttered something inaudible as Naruto and Genma shared a confused look.

"It can't be that bad! I wanna see!" chirped Naruto.

"Yea me too! You guys make it seem like its horrible." grunted Genma.

The two loud mouths took the paper and eyed it cautiously. Their faces turned a ghostly white and returned the paper to Shikamaru.

"I'm sorry…I must have made a mistake. I'll just start from addition and learn properly."

Yamato quickly entered the living room and stood next to Kakashi and Shikamaru, who eyed the paper again.

"This isn't funny..." said Shikamaru.

"I didn't think this was the extent of her knowledge…" Kakashi laughed and scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Hey, this is pretty scary to look at…. Um, Sakura, you said you went to school once right? Did you mean one day? Or one year?" asked Yamato, trying to seem very nice about it; though the hesitation in his voice said otherwise.

Shikamaru, Yamato, and Kakashi looked at the said girl who fidgeted where she sat and saw tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes.

"...a year…I'm sorry. I'm stupid. I shouldn't have tried to impress you. I knew I was incorrect but I-"

"Sakura, were you home schooled at all?" Yamato asked, trying to seem nice once.

Sakura shook her head and felt the tears slide against her hot face in a cooling trail. She was scared. She was always called stupid, and she had believed it but she thought that maybe things would be different; but seeing the looks of nervousness and apprehension scared her. They were the same looks she often saw as a child before things turned into a nightmare.

Kakashi cleared his throat and spoke for Shikamaru and Yamato.

"Sakura, why are you crying." he asked soothingly.

"…B-because I'm wrong…I-I thought I knew what I was doing but…I'm sorry…I won't do it again…I'll-"

"But you're correct." Kakashi said, with that usual eye crinkle of his that Sakura still couldn't trust.

"I have to admit this scared me. I assumed you knew up to factoring but I didn't think you were done with math completely. You're way over the standard for a G.E.D." Shikamaru said in disbelief.

"It's a little unbelievable you learned this on your own, but maybe I'm just jealous. I didn't learn this until I graduated high school. Sakura, how do you know this type of math? Its not basic in the least." Yamato asked in a gentle tone.

Sakura sniffled a few times as she looked towards Kakashi, Shikamaru, and then to Yamato. They weren't mad at her? She was correct? Her face held a genuine, shocked expression as she thought about their expressions when they saw her paper. They must have been lying to her. But would they really? They didn't have anything to gain from lying to her. She had no money, no home, and she was basically just cooking and cleaning for them. A live in maid she assumed. As soon as her sniffles came to a complete stop she looked to the floor once more and spoke in her usual, hesitant, yet soft tone.

"…its not basic?…" she asked.

"No Sakura, this too advanced. This is something you learn in an advance placement class in high school or in a university. Where did you learn this?" Shikamaru asked in a skeptical tone.

Sakura didn't want to talk too much about herself in case it could be used against her, so she limited her response as much as possible.

"…there were math books…where I came from…I wasn't allowed to touch them but I did and-"

"I see. Well in that case, you've done a fantastic job at mastering math. Is your writing and comprehension just as good?" Kakashi beamed.

"…I don't know…"

"Then we'll have to find out. You guys have a laptop or something? We can look up samples online and gauge her level there." sighed Shikamaru.

Shikamaru observed every bit of Sakura and thought very deeply about the situation at hand. _'…there were math books…where I came from…' _Those words rang in his ears like the annoying alarm clock he woke up to every morning. It really wasn't hard to figure out her situation, but what had him wondering was the massive chakra pool she had. Seventeen, and no concealment. Seventeen and no control. Seventeen and smart, but her emotions easily swayed the consistency of her chakra. Maybe she was just book smart. In terms of intelligence maybe she could be on par with Kakashi or Shikamaru himself, with proper guidance and training.

'_What did Kakashi say earlier? That the instructors might be too slow for her?' _Shikamaru thought.

Shikamaru had to wonder how things would turn out if she decided not to be a civilian and soon found himself shuddering at that thought. If she received proper guidance then he could only imagine how impressive she could be as a shinobi. The scarier thought was placing Sakura under Tsunade's wing. A huge chakra pool like that plus intelligence was asking for another Tsunade.

Looking over her physique he noticed a well shaped figure. You could say he had the devil's eye when examining women. Though her clothes were simple - black shorts, a red shirt, and a white hoodie - he could see right through that. Slender limbs and a taut body. She was lacking in curves and fat and she had decent sized breasts, but her body was perfect for herself and looked to be in pristine condition. A perfect kunoichi body. A little too perfect. Shikamaru began to suspect Sakura for being more than just a damsel in distress but he could have been over thinking things. In this world, it wasn't easy to trust anyone who could use chakra at their advantage unless they belonged to your city or to an alliance. He decided that he would just stay quiet and watch from afar until he came to a better conclusion.

Just before posing another question in his mind Kakashi cleared his throat and spoke.

"Sakura, which type of math were you talking about the other day? You had clearly mentioned there was a type of math you didn't recognize but I don't see where I would need to teach you anything."

Sakura bit her lower lip again and thought about what she saw in one of the books. She didn't know the category it fell under but she could distinctly remember letters and numbers. She hesitantly grabbed the pencil and paper she used earlier and used an empty space to write out what she didn't understand. She then handed the paper to Kakashi slowly and spoke under her breath.

"…I don't understand this…"

Kakashi took a look over the new 'math' she had presented to him and smiled.

"This is chemistry Sakura. This I can teach you." he said with a hidden smile.

* * *

**6:00 pm**

"In the end we didn't train." shrugged a lazy Shikamaru. "Well, I'm not complaining. I didn't want to the moment I woke up this morning."

"But I did!" groaned Naruto. "I've been waiting a whole month!"

"Now now, there will be other times." Yamato said, as he patted Naruto's shoulder.

"You're just saying that! You three are almost never home! I was lucky I could even eat lunch with you guys on Thursday!"

"Naruto, you have people your own age to train with. I'm not saying you can't train with us but I'm saying that people in your group have a bit more…leisure. More free time."

"But -"

"No buts. We'll try again next time. I'll give you a call when we're all free."

Naruto pouted as Yamato saw him and Shikamaru to the door. Just as Yamato opened the front door, Sakura entered the hallway and spoke hesitantly.

"…you're not staying for dinner?"

Naruto looked behind Yamato to see Sakura wearing a simple pink apron with a panda on the side and he immediately knew Genma must have bought that for her.

"You can cook?" Naruto beamed.

Sakura nodded as she tried to make eye contact with Naruto and glanced to Shikamaru, who seemed to be eying her closely. She felt weird under his gaze. The lazy yet scrutinizing look he gave her felt like it held so much contradiction. She didn't know what to make of him.

Naruto suddenly pouted and began to whine. "Maaaan! If I knew that then I wouldn't have made plans already! Sorry Sakura-chan but I can't! Next time for sure ok?"

Sakura didn't say anything. "-chan". She still didn't like being called with such an affectionate suffix. She nodded in response and moved a little closer towards Naruto.

"…your arm…" she said quietly.

"Huh? What about it?" Naruto asked in a simpleminded tone.

"I hurt you earlier…may I please see it?"

Blinking few times Naruto obeyed and held out his arm. He didn't notice the massive bruise and swelling that had formed and gaped at the appearance.

"Why didn't I notice this!?" he croaked.

Sakura took a few steps closer and held out her hand. The eerily shade of green began to glow in her hands and just before touching Naruto's arm, Yamato stopped her with a gentle grasp on her wrist. To his surprise she didn't flinch. Instead she looked up towards him with big eyes and a confused expression. Her eyes held so much depth and color they were actually very beautiful; like rare emerald gems on display that needed extra security precautions. This was the first time he could see her face properly and he started to regret it. She was quite stunning in his opinion. Quickly shaking any thoughts he had of her, he suddenly spoke.

"You don't need to." He said with a smile.

"…but I-"

"It's fine Sakura. Remember what I said earlier today? He entered your home without invitation. Sure he's a friend, but that's what he deserves for being rude. So you don't need to do anything."

There it was again. Yamato was calling this place her home. It sounded just as bad as hearing "-chan" in her name. She knew Yamato was trying to be nice but that just wasn't going to cut it. This place wasn't her home. It never was from the first day and she had no intention of calling it her home. She didn't have the right to. She was just waiting for the day she was going to be kicked out.

She looked to Naruto who sheepishly scratched the back of his neck and took a step back.

"He's right Sakura. I can just get the old lady to do it." He laughed out nervously. "Again, sorry for scaring you this morning..."

After a few more exchanges of goodbyes Naruto and a skeptical Shikamaru, left without any complaints or regrets leaving Yamato and Sakura in the doorway.

"So…do you need any help with dinner?" Yamato asked with a smile.

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys sorry this chapter came out so late. I had to take care of my CNA exam and my LPN entrance exam so studying had become my exclusive lover for the past month. I didn't want to post this chapter until I had the next one after it finished but I figured you guys have been waiting patiently enough. I thank you all for reading my fanfiction and I can't wait to write and upload the developments to come. Yay.  
I still have classes but I'm completely free Friday-Sunday. Those are my editing and publishing days lol. Monday-Thursday when I get out of class is when I write the chapter. So please bear with me XD**

Again, thank you all for reading and supporting my fanfiction and I do plan on tossing in one shots or mini stories like 5-8 chapters long depending on how bored or impulsive I feel lol. But who knows lol. If you read my A/N then you'll know if I write extra things or not lol. Or if you're kind and check out my profile, then you'll know there too lol.

Ok thats it for today. Thanks again!

**-Rusala  
**


	8. I don't understand

**Monday 2:15 pm**

"These books will be yours. You're free to do whatever you like with it, but please use them to study." Kakashi said jokingly.

After showing Sakura the books he grabbed, he placed them in the basket he held and pulled out a list of supplies and items she would need. Genma rounded the corner with two history books and matching workbooks and a few history magazines and placed them in the basket Kakashi held.

"Get your own basket Shiranui." Kakashi ordered.

"Why? You're right here. Its convenient." Genma grinned.

"I'm not your pack mule." Kakashi stated flatly.

"C'mon, its all going to the same place and its being paid by the same person."

"Then you carry it. I have to grab other things too."

"But I'm not as strong as you are." Genma said in a feminine voice. He pressed himself against Kakashi's back and placed a chin on his shoulder. "I just love seeing how strong you are."

"We agreed in the car, separate baskets for separate subjects. I have other things I need to add."

Genma clicked his tongue and sighed. "Man you're such a sour puss."

"Why thank you. Now get off." Kakashi ordered.

"Ooh, touchy." Genma joked.

He got off of Kakashi and gave Sakura a smile.

"So Sakura have you seen anything that you liked?"

What was there to like? She was just getting supplies for studying. Did it really matter? Sakura shook her head and Genma gave her a smile.

"Well that won't do! Kakashi I'm going to steal her for a bit." Genma beamed as he grabbed his things out of Kakashi's basket and walked a few feet urging Sakura to follow.

Kakashi looked to Sakura who looked a little lost for a second. Her expression looked adorable in his opinion rather than her empty, fearful, or upset face. He gave her an eye crinkle and nodded and Sakura turned on her heels to follow Genma.

Kakashi glanced at his list again and continued to walk down the isles filled with books and supplies.

"This place really does have it all.…" Kakashi mumbled to himself.

The office shop really was something. It had it all from everyday school and office supplies and arts and crafts to educational books and electronics. Kakashi had never needed to go to a place like this but he had regretted not coming sooner. Prices were much cheaper for everyday things like printing paper and sticky notes and the variety was massive.

He made it to the end of the isle and looked towards the ceiling at the boards indicating the number and a general list of items down each isle. After seeing the isle he was looking for, he lazily made his way down the row of many 'craft' isles and saw Yamato adding a Styrofoam square to his basket.

Kakashi said nothing as he grabbed at different shapes of Styrofoam balls that were next to Yamato's squares.

"Looks like someone had the same idea." Yamato said jokingly.

"Its not like it wouldn't hurt to make her lessons fun." Kakashi mused.

They stood there in silence; one grabbing at things from the shelf and the other staring down at a list of items. Yamato had to admit that this was an interesting way to go about things. They already had copies of tests from the previous years as a guide for Sakura's lessons. She was a fast learner and could probably finish everything within a few months. They didn't need to include extra activities like mini projects, but something made them feel like they needed to. If she wasn't lying about having been to school for only one year, then it obviously meant she didn't have the interaction and creative outlet most normal children had. Even special children in the academy were given projects and assignments that included family participation or bonding, or a creative outlet.

"Hey...do you think we might be slowing her down? I mean, she's seventeen and very bright... and she's a fast learner. She's not in elementary school anymore...but part of me says I should give her a few projects anyways..." Yamato asked in a worried tone.

"I don't see anything that could slow her down. This is a good way to bring out her creative side. Math is nothing but numbers and there aren't many opportunities to make it fun or interesting. Besides, we don't want her to turn into a robot." Kakashi replied nonchalantly.

He picked up several bottles of paint and debated amongst many colors, though in the end, it didn't matter. He threw them all into his basket.

"I know that. I'm just saying that-"

"Yo! This is where you guys were!" Genma chirped as he pushed a cart half filled with items.

How was it, that in the short amount of time he was separated from them, he had a cart filled with so many different things?

"Genma what are you planning on doing with all of those?" Yamato croaked as he looked at the pile of items. Scissors, glue, tape, printing paper, history books and workbooks, magazines, and so much more. There were a lot of other things that looked like they could make a mess and Yamato and Kakashi shared an "oh no" face. What type of lessons was he planning?

"Ah, I just thought I'd make her lessons fun you know? It looks like you guys were planning the same thing." Genma laughed out.

Kakashi eyed what looked like a big box at the bottom of the cart and raised an eyebrow in suspicion. He could see some words that read 'great performance', 'dual processor', and the number '3000'.

"Is that a laptop?" Kakashi asked.

"Huh? Uh yea. I thought she might need it."

"She doesn't need something like that just yet." Kakashi shot at Genma.

"Get with the times old man." Genma joked.

"Need I remind you we're the same age? You're actually older than I am by a few months!" Kakashi butted in, but Genma didn't care to listen.

"Young ones these days use cell phones and laptops to communicate with one another." Genma sang.

"No. We have a capable laptop _and_ computer at the house for her to use. Besides, who is she going to 'communicate' with? She sees us everyday and its not like she's going to become great friends with anyone anytime soon."

"But this one is piiiiiiiink!" Genma whined.

"What are you? Seven? I'm starting to think that _you_ secretly want the girly things."

"Am not! Sakura is a young woman and colors like these would be more appealing to her." Genma huffed childishly.

"But she doesn't need a laptop." Kakashi argued back.

"Then what about a cell phone?"

"There you go again, she doesn't need that stuff yet if we're with her."

"But what if we're not with her?"

"That's for later. She doesn't need it now."

"Speaking of Sakura… Genma where is she?" Yamato asked alarmingly.

"What are you talking about? She's right-" Genma said as he turned behind him to see no one standing there. "…oh…"

"You lost her!" Yamato and Kakashi growled in unison.

"Calm down I can sense she's still in the store!" Genma nervously replied.

In a swift motion all three split up in an attempt search for Sakura, which didn't take long. She was only five isles down from where they were - reading through a crochet book. Yamato and Kakashi glared at Genma who nervously laughed and scratched the back of his head. To Genma's luck, Sakura had not noticed his disappearance and sighed in relief, which, very oddly, caught her attention. She looked up from the crochet book and saw her guardians eying the book she held, and in a hurried fashion, she placed the book back and looked to the floor to avoid their gazes.

"Sakura did you see anything you liked?" Yamato asked.

Sakura shook her head but her eyes flicked towards the book she was just looking at. She had to admit she liked what she saw and thought it was interesting but she couldn't tell them that. She still had her reservations about them regardless of their kindness and couldn't afford to like much.

She stepped away from the shelf and walked towards her guardians with a curious look on her face. The basket and cart she had seen were missing and looked around them in confusion.

"…Where did the books go…?" she asked.

"Oh! Silly us! We forgot them!" Laughed Genma.

"Yea silly us." Kakashi and Yamato laughed half halfheartedly.

Behind those laughs held contempt and malice towards Genma and he knew it. He quickly walked to Sakura's side and babbled on about life and history leaving Kakashi and Yamato to retrieve everything except the laptop.

* * *

**Thursday 6:30 am**

Sakura woke up like she did every morning. She cleaned the house, washed and ironed the clothes, and started making breakfast. Only there was something different about today. She had a book. Not just any book. A science book. In between frying and mixing things she would read each sentence diligently; occasionally flipping to the back to read through the glossary. She had finished preparing breakfast a little too early and carefully wrapped everything putting her reading to a pause. When she finished her task, she sat upon a stool at the kitchen island and continued to read - using the tip of her finger as a guide. This was her book now. The moment it was handed to her was the moment she read through it, getting little to no sleep. Though she was finished with the book, the morning was filled with her re-reading between her tasks, and she couldn't help but feel excited that this was her book. She felt fond over it and was even more excited thinking about reading the history and literature books later.

As she continued to read, she heard the familiar pattering of paws run around upstairs and knew right away it was Pakkun. The sound of his nails scraping along the wood floors made it's way down the stairs, pass the kitchen's entrance, and straight to the front door. Wasn't Pakkun supposed to be there Monday to Wednesday? Today was Thursday, so why was Pakkun at the house today? Sakura still couldn't understand what Kakashi meant by Pakkun's part-time living conditions and she has yet to see any other dogs; but she decided not t push it. At least she could see Pakkun.

She suddenly heard the front door unlock and a familiar ringing in her ears said that Kakashi was home. She couldn't explain the sound she heard, but when she was in a quiet environment she could pick out certain rings a person's footsteps or presence had. It was one of her best assets growing up. If she didn't hear or notice her 'father', she could tell where he was in the house and guess what he was doing or how fast he was moving.

Despite hearing Kakashi enter the house and then the kitchen, she didn't turn from her spot. She was too engrossed in what she was reading. She knew Kakashi was close but she couldn't turn away from the book. Somehow, the apprehension she held to the people in the house seemed to disappear and she felt comfortable with them. She still held up her guard for possible beatings and insults but she didn't seem to mind their presence. Though touching was still a major problem.

Kakashi made his way to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water; taking a sip of the contents inside. From the corner of his eye he watched Sakura slowly pulling away from the book but still reading very intently. He watched her eyes frivolously scan the text until she finally pulled away from the book and moved towards the wrapped dishes.

"No, no its ok. Continue reading. I can unwrap the food myself." Kakashi said tiredly, but gently.

"…I can't do that…"

"And why not?"

"…because you'll-" Sakura stopped in her tracks. She was tempted to say 'because you'll punish me' but somehow she knew better than to say it.

"Because I'll...?" he asked curiously.

Shaking her thoughts from her head she cleared her throat and responded to him.

"…Please don't mind me…I'll set it up for you…" she insisted politely.

Kakashi looked at Sakura through half lidded eyes and sighed. He could already guess what she was thinking and didn't want to cause her worry. He moved in closer and gently placed a hand on her shoulder causing her to jump slightly and shifted from his touch. Yup. Touching was still a major problem. But why didn't it bother her when Yamato held her wrist a few days ago? Did she trust him more than she trusted Genma and Kakashi? If she thought about it carefully, Yamato seemed the least threatening out of everyone she had met. Was it because he didn't make much of an attempt to catch her in the alleyway? And what about Shikamaru? Why was she able to shake his hand without trying to pull away?

"Sakura, it's ok. I can get my own food. Or better yet, why don't I serve you this morning? I apologize for having you cook all of the time but why don't you relax and I'll bring the dishes to you?"

"…I can't do that…" She said again, shaking her head. "…I'm not supposed to receive this type of treatment…"

"Says who?"

"…my-" Sakura stopped in her tracks again.

Who was she going to refer to? Her 'father'? That was laughable. She doesn't have one now that Kakashi and Yamato were her guardians. It was such a natural response though. But why was she about to say something so revealing about her past? The past was the past and she intended to keep it there. But that didn't stop it from haunting her and creeping out of every pore. It defined her. She looked to the floor and said nothing as Kakashi began to unwrap the dishes. He made his way to the fridge once more and pulled out a carton or orange juice and a carton of milk. He held them out and shook them, trying to catch Sakura's attention, which unsurprisingly did.

"Which would you like? Orange juice or milk?"

Sakura eyed Kakashi curiously before responding. She wasn't sure how to react to his offer but seeing the friendly attempt he made and eye crinkle he flashed her, made her cave slightly. She still couldn't tell if he hid ill intentions or not.

"…orange…" she said quietly.

"Orange it is." he mused.

He grabbed a clean glass from the dish tray and filled it almost to the rim and carefully handed it to her.

"Go into the dining room and I'll bring everything in."

"But I-"

"Please?" he asked playfully. Kakashi knew Sakura still couldn't trust in others words completely, so he was trying his best to show her that she wasn't a slave or a maid, but a person. He wanted to show her the good in people even if it was something this simple.

Sakura looked down at the glass of orange juice in her hands and slowly nodded and cautiously made her way into the dining room. She carefully put the glass down and pulled out the seat she normally sat in. It was strange waiting for Kakashi to bring out the food. But it was strange sitting there alone. There was always a filled table waiting for her to sit down and everyone rotated sitting next to her each time they ate together. But something about right now felt, lonely. Sakura quickly shook any thoughts she had about loneliness. Eating, waiting, and just being alone in general never bothered her before. She always waited until her 'father' was asleep or gone before she dared to eat. So she didn't need people. Or did she? She couldn't understand why she felt like she wanted to reach out to these people. She couldn't understand why she felt comfortable around them either. She held so many guards up around them but that didn't stop her from feeling at ease too. Was she really that desperate for some sort of kindness? Was she really longing for someone to just be there? Longing for someone's warmth? She deemed her heart was as cold and solid as an iceberg. That no amount of warmth could melt it...right?

Sakura was completely wrapped in her thoughts that she failed to notice that Kakashi had already neatly set up the dinning table with everything she had prepared that morning. He set two extra plates and silverware, stacked up on one place mat, for Yamato and Genma, should Sakura mention or worry about the two. She continued to contemplate on why she felt the way she did but was interrupted when Kakashi placed her book next to her; still open from the page she left off of.

Sakura glanced to her left to see her book and then looked up to see that infamous eye crinkle he always gave her. She didn't know what to say. She was still suspicious of everyone in the house and their kindness was something she couldn't accept openly. Part of her liked it, but another part of her didn't. What made things worse was that she had yet to show her appreciation or any sign of gratitude. Was it too late to do so? If she didn't show her appreciation soon would she be punished for it?

She opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself short of letting a word leave her lips. She couldn't find the words 'thank you' in her vocabulary at all. She bit her lower lip and looked into Kakashi's eyes desperately but very analytically, with furrowed brows. She was stumped. Why was it so hard for her to say 'thank you'?

Kakashi softened his expression and stared into those brilliant emerald eyes of hers. After just a few days of living with her he could already put together which color was associated with which emotions. The more troubled, thoughtful, or upset she was, the more dark and deep the color became. Her defeat, despair, or fear left her with pale or watered out green colors. He had to base her mood on the color of her eyes rather than her expressions. She often held blank expressions but her eyes always said something different. If she didn't hold her usual, empty, expression she would show fear and over concentration. Kakashi was grateful she subconsciously spoke with her eyes because it made dealing with her much more easy.

He notice her open her mouth to say something but stopped again. Kakashi didn't know why, but he just wanted to touch her. He reached out a hand slowly and brought it close to her face. Upon sight of his hand Sakura flinched and closed her eyes tightly and her body grew extremely stiff, bracing itself for pain and infliction. Kakashi stopped himself short of touching her face and gently patted her head instead. She opened an eye and saw what looked like a hidden, gentle smile as his palm rested upon her head.

Sakura continued to stare in confusion and she didn't know what to do. Her body felt hot and it was hard for her to swallow. Her heart pounded against her ears and there was a weird feeling that rumbled in the pit of her stomach and it made her eyes feel wet and tired. She didn't understand the feeling at all and it bothered her even more. Was he comforting her? Did she like the comfort he was offering?

Kakashi removed his hand and smiled, ever so eagerly, and spoke to bring her back to the 'real world'.

"You want to say 'thank you' right?" he asked.

Sakura, caught in surprise, nodded her head slowly and then looked to the floor. She couldn't handle the long eye contact she made with Kakashi and was desperate to look elsewhere. Especially since he was able to read her mind. Kakashi understood that and gave her head three last pats before he made his way to his seat.

.

.

Breakfast was quiet and Kakashi would see Sakura glance at the book between every bite. He smiled inwardly at how admirable she was and quickly downed his food before she could see his face. Thinking about how breakfast normally was he sighed at the thought of everyone talking. He wasn't one to force a conversation but he knew she needed to develop communication skills with others so he thought to try his luck.

"So…what chapter are you on?" He asked. He didn't check the chapter number prior to returning the book to her, but he could tell she was pretty far.

Sakura looked up to Kakashi and down to the book on her left and cautiously looked at the top left of her page.

"Chapter seventeen...But I finished the book already..." She said with an upbeat tone. Her face said nothing but her eyes twinkled and said a lot more. But what caught him off guard was the tone of her voice. This was the first time she sounded so alive and energetic and Kakashi really loved the sound of her tone. It suited her rather than that hesitant, monotone, cautious way of talking.

"You're quite the over achiever. Is there anything left for me to teach?" Kakashi joked.

Sakura quickly frowned a little in disappointment, taking Kakashi's joke to heart. Did he really want to teach her something? Was she insulting him for finishing the book? It was normal for her to read and absorb what she was involved in on her own. But the question at hand was, did he really want to teach her something? Did any of her guardians want to teach her? She would have been fine on her own like she always was. Depending on others wasn't necessary if she wanted to survive. In the end the only person you could trust was yourself…right? Besides, she didn't want to cause trouble or be in anyone's way. If she got in the way it meant punishment.

Kakashi, noticing how he made the moment sour, quickly felt the need to redeem himself.

"I'm just kidding Sakura. That book is an introduction to science. At least save the chemistry book for me."

Sakura nodded and finished the rest of the food on her plate and then thumbed the condensation her glass of orange juice created.

"…I'm sorry…" she said.

"What for?"

"…everything…"

"I still don't see anything you should be sorry about."

"…you don't have to go so far for someone like me…." she said solemnly.

"Its because its you that I'm going so far." Kakashi said smoothly.

He caught himself in his own words, wondering what he meant by that sentence. Mentally, it sounded harmless, but hearing it leave his lips said something else. Sakura didn't catch it but he did. He could have said 'we' instead of 'I', but he didn't. This was about Sakura, not him. Or was it about him too? He didn't understand nor did he try to. He quickly added to the conversation hoping the change the pace or possibly the outcome.

"In any case, you don't have to worry about it. Just do what you want and accept what we offer. If we really didn't want you around we would have said something. So please don't worry about it. We want you to stay and feel comfortable with us." Kakashi said, trying to seem friendly.

He did however seem a little passive aggressive and mentally slapped himself for sounding that way. He was an ex anbu for crying out loud. Getting information and talking to people, regardless of the person, was as easy as looking at the back of his hand without a hint of care or emotion depending on his role. But it was hard for him to talk to Sakura without feeling some sort of emotion. He normally had people wrapped around his finger but it seemed that Sakura had him wrapped around hers.

He noticed Sakura bite her lower lip and could tell she was thinking hard about his words. After a long awaited pause, she furrowed her brows and spoke.

"…but that's what I don't understand… I was kept around, but never wanted…I don't understand why-" Her words trailed off her lips.

She was stumped for words again. She couldn't understand why she was able to talk to Kakashi like this. She watched her words carefully and was constantly hesitant when she spoke to anyone, but somehow she could somewhat have a heart to heart with Kakashi. What was it about this man that made her feel compelled to speak more than she should have about herself? Or about what she was thinking or how she was feeling?

She swallowed her thoughts and contradictions and continued to speak; though it didn't stop her from feeling upset and miserable. She couldn't understand at all. She was smart but she just couldn't understand.

"-I just don't understand why you want me here…" she said quietly and fought the tears that threatened to form in her eyes.

Kakashi sighed at the sight of Sakura trying her best not to show complete vulnerability again. She let out her tears and sniffles in fear of being branded as stupid and incapable on Saturday, but she didn't exactly have a serious cry. He thought about the first time she cried in front of everyone in fear and uncertainty, but it wasn't the serious cry she needed.

Her tears as of now were caused by frustration. Frustrated because she couldn't understand anyone's form of kindness and generosity. Scared to show any source of vulnerability in case it could be used against her. She was a trooper and Kakashi had to wonder what would have happened if she were raised she were raised in this city? Would he have met her under the same light? Maybe she would have been happy and he wouldn't have noticed her at all. If he met her, she probably would have been under his or his friend's guidance as a shinobi, but nothing more. It was by chance he caught her stealing and it was by chance that she moved in with him and his friends.

He noticed her rub and play with the tips of her fingers in a soothing motion and he wondered how often she did that. It looked like the most natural thing for her to do in moments like these and he felt upset. How many times did she do this a day? How many times did she do it when she was alone in the alleyways? What about where she was before the streets? He remembered her "three treasures" and wondered why those calmed her down immediately. If she didn't have those would she have been hostile towards him and the rest? It obviously seemed to keep her calm and somewhat collected.

Kakashi took a deep breath and exhaled quietly. Really, why was he getting angry? He didn't know the answer to that. He looked at her again and saw her fingers come to a stop, indicating she was ok and decided to change the topic before he made her feel bad, and before he felt himself grow upset again.

"Sakura... Can you tell me what you want for the future?"

Sakura looked at Kakashi as if he grew a second head and cocked her head to the side in a curious fashion. Something about it seemed too adorable for words in Kakashi's opinion but mentally kicked himself for thinking that way.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Your likes, dislikes, what you might want for a future."

"…future…" she said softly and began to contemplate on the word. To be honest she didn't see a future. She only saw the present. She's been lucky to have lived up until now so she never thought too hard about the future. She only thought about surviving for the next day.

Kakashi mentally kicked himself again. Of course she wouldn't know the answer to that right away. In the world of the shinobi people had dreams and future goals and aspirations, but the main thing everyone wanted was to live and see tomorrow. Knowing about her situation, he could tell she had the same mindset of survival and hoping to survive to see the next day, only she didn't want or wish for anything more.

"…to live…and to feel alive…maybe…" she said quietly.

Kakashi was stunned to hear her response. He would have guessed her to stay silent or say, 'I don't know', but she earnestly answered him with words he knew all too well. The feeling of being nothing but an empty husk, walking around without a second thought as to where you were going. To eat but not taste. To touch but not feel. Where everything was written in stone and colored in monochrome. There is no change and everyday is just tiresome. You feel weightless and feel as if you could drift away unless you're being held down by something heavy to keep you grounded. The heavy thing to show that you are in fact alive and anchor yourself from drifting. From straying down the wrong path or road.

Thinking of those words once more showed promise in her recovery. But it was because she said those words herself that there was definitely hope for her future. Hope for her growth, for her strength and for her happiness. She may not have shown it or spoke truthfully about it, but somewhere inside of her, Kakashi could see she wanted to trust in others and live a fulfilling life. Especially after meeting people who were also special. Seeing them living and being alive. To know that one isn't alone is the best information someone in her situation could receive.

Kakashi sat up from his chair and had asked Sakura to follow him.

"But the dishes-"

"Don't worry about the dishes. They won't go anywhere. Just follow me." Kakashi said reassuringly.

Sakura obeyed and followed after Kakashi, who entered the downstairs restroom. Sakura stopped right before following him inside and looked at him suspiciously. She didn't know what he was planning and kept her distance and Kakashi could see that. He placed a door stopper at the bottom of the door so it would remain wide open and waved at her to enter. Sakura eyed him questionably but slowly entered, stopping right next to Kakashi.

"Ok, now I want you to turn and look into the mirror."

Sakura looked to her left and shot him a strange look before slowly fixing her gaze on her reflection. What were they doing in there and what was he planning? It seemed too suspicious and she thought about preparing herself for the worst.

"Sakura, if you want to feel alive, then you need to get out of your comfort zone. So lesson one: turn that frown upside down." Kakashi mused.

He moved behind Sakura and with his index fingers, pushed the corners of her lips up, creating a strange smile on her face. Sakura stared at their reflection with wide eyes and her body stiffened; unable to move. Kakashi was much too close for comfort but he wasn't doing anything that scared her completely. She looked at the smile he hid behind his mask, and to the twinkle in his visible eye, and then to makeshift smile he made for her. Her face looked strange but before she could analyze it anymore, he let her cheeks go.

"Ok, now you try."

"…wh-what…?" She asked dubiously.

"You try. I can't walk around holding your cheeks up all of the time. So why not give it a try?"

Sakura stared at his amused reflection and she couldn't understand why he was so carefree. He watched her expectantly in the reflection and she felt embarrassed and sour. But she did as she was told. She used the index fingers on both of hands and slowly pressed them to the corners of her lips, giving them a slight lift. She looked to Kakashi, wondering if she was doing something right or wrong, and received a nod of approval. Though she still didn't understand, that nod made her eyes fill with energy, making her face look much more bright and exuberant. Kakashi was thankful for the mask he wore because the combination of her silly smile and the gleam in her eyes looked too cute beyond words and made his cheeks heat slightly. Really, why was he getting flustered over her? Was it because smiles suited her much better? Was it her innocence? Or was it both?

He cleared his throat and flashed his famous eye crinkle.

"Very good. You look much better with a smile on your face. You don't smile on your own so if you feel happy, or excited, or anything positive, just lift your cheeks with your fingers. Ok?"

Sakura, with her fingers still making a smile, nodded a little too fast which made Kakashi's face feel more hot. Yup. It was definitely her innocence that he found adorable.

"Well, now that that's settled, you can finish re-reading your book or watch T.V. while I clear the table." Kakashi said as he ushered Sakura out of the bathroom.

"I can do it." she blurted.

Her face held its usual blank expression but the energy in her eyes and her voice said otherwise. It really caught Kakashi off guard at how much emotion she had been displaying today. Obviously he was doing something right if she was this energetic and talkative to him.

"No can do. I already decided I was doing it."

Sakura frowned a bit and look to the floor. Never, has she let anyone else serve her food or clean up for her. She always did it. If she didn't, she would have answer to shouting and pain all over again. She really couldn't understand this man at all… or could she? No, definitely not. He was too carefree and hid his face from everyone. She had to base everything on his eyes but even that, she found tedious and difficult.

"Bu~t, if you really want to do something, then you can help me." He sang.

There was that small weird feeling rumbling in the pit of her stomach again and she just didn't know what it was. Was this relief? Was this joy? Was it reassurance? It was similar to when Kakashi had patted her head but she just didn't know the feeling. But something about it felt nice.

Kakashi turned on the balls of his feet to leave the hallway and she tugged gently at a part his rolled up sleeve. Kakashi raised an eyebrow and looked over his shoulder, to see Sakura still holding on and looking to the floor. She pursed her lips for a bit and looked back up to him nervously but quickly shook it away. In an instant, she let go of his shirt and with two hesitant fingers lifted her cheeks to form a smile. She couldn't openly say it, but she genuinely felt grateful. Kakashi said so himself that if she felt anything positive then she should lift her cheeks.

Kakashi's eyes raised in surprise at how much courage she was showing to actually touch him, let alone try out his method 'smiling'. It was cute seeing her try hard. He had meant it as a little inside joke for the both of them but seeing her taking it seriously warmed his heart. She was trying to make an effort despite not being able to trust him. Now he was sure he was doing something right.

"Ok then, I'll wash, you dry."

* * *

**Thursday 2:26pm**

Aside, from leaving her room to prepare lunch, exchange a few words, and clean up after lunch, Sakura had holed herself in her room almost the entire day, reading. Just as promised, she left the chemistry book alone; though that didn't stop her from touching one of her literature books. Her door was left slightly ajar in case someone needed her and found herself feeling relaxed. Somehow, her talk with Kakashi this morning made her feel lighter. More at ease to be specific. was it because he taught her how to 'smile'?

She could feel the strain on her back and neck as she read on her bed, and changed her position from sitting with crossed legs to laying on her stomach. Pakkun had been laying on the bed with her feeling completely relaxed around her. Over the past few days, her chakra wasn't as heavy and overbearing as her first three nights. Though he still had a problem with her waking up every two hours to perform her "soldier scouting" around the room, at least when she woke up her chakra fluctuated between being concealed or being a little pleasant. Pakkun didn't really know what the guys in the house were doing but he was glad they seemed to be doing something right.

Sakura shifted her position again only this time she had closed the book and laid on her back, scratching behind Pakkun's ears with the fingers that could just barely reach him. She really was a good girl and Pakkun had grown fond of her though she didn't say much to him. As a reward for being a good kid he moved closer to her and lifted a paw for her to see.

_'I'll let her touch the pad of my paw since its very soft. That's the perfect reward for her.'_ He thought.

Sakura didn't sit up, but she lifted her head, feeling the burn in her upper abdominal region. She looked to Pakkun curiously as he let out a soft, 'gruff' like most dogs did. He really didn't like the idea of pretending to be a normal house dog but it did have its advantages of seeming more cute. He nudged her hand with his nose and held his paw up again, giving it a slight wave. Sakura's cheeks flushed a light pink color and she slowly poked the pad of his paw with a finger. And then poked it again. And then poked it a few more times. Pakkun was adorable in Sakura's eyes and she wanted to get closer to him. In an attempt to be even friendlier, she patted her belly, seeing if he would hop on.

Pakkun could see Sakura's intentions very well and decided to amuse her by hopping onto her stomach. She let a light, 'oof' leave her lips as Pakkun landed on top of her and pressed his feet into her stomach lightly. He then stretched his body onto her as much as he could to get comfortable and rested his neck and face between her breasts; staring at her with happy eyes. Sakura brought her fingers up to Pakkun's ears and soothingly pulled on them in relaxing strokes.

She then moved her hands to his body and ran her fingers through his fur, feeling the soft, silky strands against her fingers. Pakkun let out a content sigh and his eyes began to droop little by little.

_'Damn, her fingers are like magic.'_ Pakkun thought as he began to feel very relaxed and sleepy.

But suddenly she stopped, and Pakkun opened his eyes to look at her. She didn't look at him. Instead, her attention was fixed towards the large window to her left and then slowly moved to stare at the ceiling which laid parallel to her. She let out a sigh and surprised Pakkun when she spoke. She sounded almost burnt out and he wondered if her sleeping habits was the problem. He hadn't been around for a while and today, he used guilt tactics to come; much to Kakashi's protests. But focusing back on Sakura, he wondered what happened the past couple of days he wasn't around.

"...Pakkun...am I really welcomed here...?" she asked quietly with yawn.

She looked to Pakkun tiredly, yet expectantly, hoping for him to magically talk and give some sort of answer. Pakkun, still playing the role of a normal house dog, 'woofed' under his breath and nuzzled into her more, hoping it could serve as an answer for her. Her blank expression softened but she didn't smile. She leaned her head back to where it was and resumed lightly scratching and rubbing behind his ears.

"...Is it really ok for me to be here...?" she yawned solemnly before her fingers slowed and came to a stop and she nodded off into a gentle slumber.

Pakkun stared at her for a good few seconds before he carefully slid off of her made his way off of the bed, trying his best not to wake her. As he pranced across the floor he whispered under his breath.

"Its not polite to eavesdrop Yamato."

Pakkun had pushed his way out of the ajar door and looked to his right to see Yamato, sitting on the top of the steps with his elbows resting upon his knees and laced fingers cradling his chin. He didn't turn from his spot, but from what Pakkun could see, he held a hard and a deeply concentrated expression.

Yamato's mind was bouncing around the idea that Sakura didn't feel welcomed in their house. Of course it was going to take time for Sakura to accept him and the rest into her life, but she should have at least felt welcomed. Was there something they were lacking? Their smiles and generosity weren't for show and she responded much better to them than they had anticipated when they first met her. But now he was worried. The tone in her voice said too many things including, "I think I should leave.".

Pakkun sat beside Yamato and huffed lazily, yet quietly.

"C'mon, don't tell me that you're upset?"

"No its not that...Just concerned..."

"She's just saying that. She's confused but she's been responding well to everyone in the house."

"Can't say that for sure. She hasn't found her purpose for being here and she could flee any time she felt like she were in the way or if something went wrong."

"I'm not so sure about that. She's exchanged a few concerns from time to time but never actually contemplated or said she planned on leaving. She's quite fond of me so I would have heard something."

"She talks to you?" Yamato asked with his eyebrows raised. "You're not talking back are you?" he quickly asked suspiciously.

"No not really. She'll just say a few things or mumble to herself or me. Today was actually the first time she really asked me something. And what do you take me for? I've been nothing but a house dog since she started staying with us." he ruffed under his breath.

Yamato sat there for a moment, thinking about Pakkun's words when a light bulb suddenly lit up.

"That's it!" Yamato whispered a little too loudly.

"What is?"

"Thanks Pakkun." Yamato said with a smile and scratched Pakkun's head.

He sprung from where he sat and ran downstairs with Pakkun following behind, matching his pace.

"Hey, your scratches suck compared to Sakura's. And what's the sudden epiphany?"

"You'll see."


	9. Smile

**Sunday August 19 9:45 am**

"Remember, Tsunade can shout and be the most terrifying person on the planet but she doesn't mean any ill will. She does have a good side…somewhere hidden deep down…" Yamato said, trying to reassure Sakura.

"While you're with her you need to listen carefully and absorb whatever she teaches you. Think of it as a career day. You know, to get a taste of the life of a medic and a kunoichi. Its a good chance to see what you want or don't want later in life." Kakashi added.

"Oh yea! Don't forget, she's always in a foul mood when you wake her from a nap or any sort of sleep so don't let that scare you ok?" Genma butted in.

Sakura nodded and adjusted the strap of the duffel bag that had been slung over her shoulder. She clearly couldn't use the backpack she had from before as it was too small to store all the things she would be needing. For the next two weeks she was going to be staying with Tsunade while Kakashi, Genma, and Yamato would be out on a mission.

"You make it sound like I'm some wild bear that's planning on eating her!" Tsunade gritted.

Tsunade smiled inwardly at the sight before her. Seeing three of many respectable, top ninja, dote and worry over a seventeen year old woman was quite a sight to see. They seemed more like worried fathers rather than friends. Either way, Tsunade knew she made the right decision to leave Sakura in their care.

With the last words having been exchanged, Sakura followed after Tsunade to her black, four-door wrangler jeep. It looked a little _used_ but still in new or decent shape; though in desperate need of a wash. It really wasn't the type of vehicle you would expect a Hokage to own. Genma's silver pathfinder looked to be in much better condition despite being an older model. Surely, someone with great diplomatic power and such would have owned a luxurious vehicle, similar to what her 'father' owned.

Sakura immediately eradicated any thoughts or images of that man from her mind and turned to look at the house she would be leaving for two weeks. The house that looked exactly like her hell hole from the outside, yet the inside was different with a warm and safe feeling. Her guardians stood in front of the door with reassuring nods and smiles and waved towards her. Her face had remained blank as ever but she gave them a polite nod in return and turned back to enter the unfamiliar vehicle at the end of the driveway.

Once seated and buckled in, Tsunade rolled her windows down and gave the men a final wave before starting the vehicle and speeding away, leaving a swerved, burnt rubber trail behind.

"Sakura's going to be ok…right?" Genma asked with a nervous laugh.

* * *

**Wednesday, August 22 6:45 am**

Its been three days, starting the fourth today, since Sakura begun staying with Tsunade, and she was already missing the place Yamato called her home. Getting out of bed and stretching her sore muscles from the days prior, she glanced around the lavish room she was staying in. Dark hardwood floors with white furniture filled the room. The only thing in there that wasn't white were the bed sheets, pillow cases, and blanket that adorned the bed. They were a beige color with intricate purple and gold designs in swirls of flowers; or maybe they were just swirls. Sakura couldn't really tell.

She stretched a few more times feeling her back crack along the way and she was ready to prepare breakfast. Sluggishly but surely, she made her way out of her room and into the extravagant looking home that reeked of danger. Sakura had to admit, this was the most tired and sore she has ever felt in her entire life. No amount of healing could relieve the aches she felt. This danger wasn't the type of danger she received growing up. This was different. Tsunade had already given her the rules and fair warnings of living with her and getting a taste of being her future pupil. In just three days Tsunade made her run every afternoon and do various muscle toning exercises while drilling normal medical procedures into her head. It was killer. Along with that Tsunade had devised sneak attacks and little pranks to catch and heighten Sakura's perception and sense of danger. There was never a moment to stop and relax other than sleeping at night. This was supposed to give Sakura an idea of what she would like to do for a future, but it seemed to scare her away instead. And within those three days she has already experienced Tsunade's foul mood.

As frightening as this woman was, Sakura oddly felt warm to her. The shouting and the yelling brought back terrible memories, but the degree was much more worse and left a new meaning and feeling behind it. There was no malice hidden behind anything Tsunade said or did and Sakura could willingly take what Tsunade threw her way, though she still had her fears and trust issues. It was so odd that Sakura felt affection radiate from Tsunade through every shout, bark, order, and more. Wasn't this what people called a masochist and sadist relationship? It would make sense but that wasn't the case at all. Somehow, under everything she couldn't understand with Yamato, Kakashi, and Genma, she could with Tsunade. Was it because she was a woman? Granted her temper was much worse than her "father's" something about it just felt right. Maybe even motherly. Sakura couldn't tell but she couldn't find herself to completely fear this woman.

After Sakura had prepared breakfast the only thing left to do was wake up Tsunade. Today was going to be her first day at the hospital with Tsunade, following her around and getting the gist of certain procedures in person. Was this really a test drive in a career path or was this the pre-training of what would actually come? Sakura heaved a heavy sigh; one in which she has never done in the company or presence of another person, let alone by herself. Her personality was growing lax being around Tsunade and Sakura wondered if she was becoming shameful or presumptuous.

She made her way to Tsunade's room and knocked on the door, shocked to hear Tsunade acknowledge her so early in the morning. She entered slowly, unsure of what was going to happen and saw Tsunade sitting on her bed reading through stacks and piles of papers.

"Breakfast is ready…" She said hesitantly.

Tsunade mumbled something inaudible under her breath and tossed a pile of papers onto the floor and made her way passed Sakura. This was quite odd for Sakura to witness. Why was Tsunade already up and awake and not yelling like she normally did? Sakura didn't say anything but followed after her, curious on what was to come. Tsunade had taken a spot at the kitchen table and urged Sakura to eat with her.

Breakfast was quiet for the first time since Sakura had been there and she wondered if Tsunade was distraught about something.

"I'm going to be frank and say that you should become a kunoichi." Tsunade blurted before taking a sip of her miso soup.

Sakura's stomach dropped for a second, but didn't say anything. Instead she listened very carefully.

"You have already have the basic use of healing imbedded into you. With my teachings you're bound to become someone great. Since you would be in the hospital most of the time you don't have to worry about climbing the ranks and throwing your life into something dangerous. You could stay a genin and your main source of income could be the hospital."

A genin… Sakura never considered becoming one. It was like the day Naruto asked her if she wanted to become a shinobi. Stumped, she looked to Tsunade who stared at her expectantly for an answer in which she couldn't come up with.

"Is that the reason why we've been exercising?"

"Well of course! Besides, a healthy body leads to a healthy mind!" Tsunade snorted in confidence.

"I don't know….I-"

"I'm not forcing you, but I want you to see that its not all about blood and fighting."

_'More to the point, there are issues that can't be solved if you're a civilian.'_ Tsunade thought sourly.

Why was Tsunade pushing the 'kunoichi thing' onto Sakura? Did she really want her to become one? Sakura could always say no… right? She thought about Shikamaru's words from before:

'_No one is forcing you to do anything. If you want, you can live a normal life and no one will say anything.'_

With that in her memory, Sakura looked to Tsunade, ready to protest but was cut off before she could speak.

"Ok its decided. I'm taking you on some missions while you're with me!"

"W-What? But I-"

"Don't worry about any form of training. These are missions anyone can do!"

* * *

**Wednesday 3:47pm**

"Genma you're too slow." Kakashi coughed out.

"Shaddap! This isn't easy! I'm running out of energy!" Genma heaved.

"Oh no you don't! This was your plan apart from Yamato's. Just because its failing, you decide you want to give it up? You're a shinobi for crying our loud."

"Hey! There are some things I just can and can't do! I didn't realize it was too farfetched! It seemed like a great idea in the planning phase but the execution is just all wrong! Kakashi you're the genius. Fix it!"

"Both you of shut up! I'm losing concentration!" Yamato growled.

"Yamato hang in there, we're almost halfway!" Kakashi gritted.

"That's not good news! I'm burning out and fast, so you better say you're almost finished and not halfway!"

The situation was dire. This was the third time they've messed up within the first week of their mission. This sort of stuff has never happened before. It was supposed to be a simple mission but now they were wondering about giving word to Tsunade to watch after Sakura for another week or two.

* * *

**Saturday August 25 3:12 pm**

"Thank you so much for you assistance Hokage-sama. I never anticipated you to come and help someone like me in something as trivial as this." The old man said with jittering teeth and shaking bones.

"Nonsense. Just because I'm Hokage doesn't mean I won't help out when help is requested."

"But Hokage-sama, your knowledge and strength are suited for far greater things than this. I am truly in your debt for today." The old man said, as he shakily tried to bow to show his respect.

Tsunade moved to the old man's side and placed a hand on his shoulder, motioning for him to stop bowing.

"You don't need to bow to me. Hokage or not I would have helped out in a heart beat. So please do not fret." she said reassuringly.

Sakura watched in awe as Tsunade disregarded her title and bowed her head to the older man. This was one of the good sides that Yamato had told Sakura about and she could see why Tsunade was cherished despite her brash, violent, and terrifying ways. In a lot of ways she reminded Sakura of her 'father' very much. Violent at home but plastic and impressive once outside. But the people didn't know about his true self. Unlike her 'father', the people in this city knew of Tsunade's true self but still accepted it. She was a powerful woman but never once used her title or connections to dictate or disregard the civilians. Sakura began to think that running away was not only the best decision she ever made, but that somewhere in side of her, she was glad she ended up in this city.

Just as Tsunade was wrapping up negotiations about payment the old man ran into his shop and returned with two bags filled with peaches. He turned to Sakura and handed one bag to her.

"My dear thank you too for helping out. This is for you to share with your friends and family. I can't thank you enough for what you have done today. Please take these peaches as an extra token of my appreciation."

Sakura blinked in surprise and looked at the smiling old man.

"…Are you sure? I didn't do much and I wouldn't want to-"

"Nonsense! You did plenty! I can see great promise in you and its wonderful to see you following in the footsteps of the Hokage. You have the same fire in your eyes that she does. Many young ones should learn from your example!" He cheered.

Sakura shied her face into a bow, hiding the fact that she liked the praise. When did she start to like receiving praise and approval? Did it start when Tsunade praised her while dragging her around and training her to death the past couple of days? Or did it start with Yamato and the others? Sakura frowned a little at the thought of the men she left at the house. How was their mission going? Were they back already? She wasn't there to cook for them and Kakashi, although was known to be a good cook, was too lazy to do anything for Yamato and especially Genma. Yamato would probably have tried to cook and it would be edible, but Sakura could already imagine him apologizing for the flavor with a shrug and a nervous laugh. And lastly, she could see Genma, attempting to cook but ruining everything, or trying to set foot into the kitchen and Yamato and Kakashi would probably kick him out. Wait, why was she thinking about them? If anything she should have been more worried about being yelled at for not being there.

_'Being yelled at…'_

Sakura shook that thought out of her head. Somehow, over the past two weeks she stayed with them, she seemed to know them better than that. Somehow, as much as she thought it was impossible for her to get close or trust them, her heart said something different. That all reasoning and lessons she learned before staying with them were nothing and that she was maybe something more than a spec of dirt to them.

Sakura raised herself from her bow and said her goodbyes with Tsunade and then proceeded down the sidewalk behind the older woman. As they rounded the corner Tsunade stopped to grin widely at Sakura.

"Well that was a good mission today don't you think? How do you feel?"

"A little tired." she exhaled lazily.

Since she started staying with Tsunade, she found herself answering and speaking with less hesitance; though it was essential for her survival. For every time she hesitated or shied away, Tsunade added an extra ten repetitions to Sakura's work out and another three minutes to the morning, afternoon, or evening run she was forced to do. Just seven more days and Sakura was in the clear to go home and study with Kakashi and Yamato and play history games with Genma.

'_Home….'_ she thought. Did she just think of that place as her home? No. She was only staying there. Just like she was staying with Tsunade.

"Ok, once we get back I'm going to quiz you on-"

"I found you!" shouted the voice of a young woman.

Sakura turned her attention to see the woman who called Genma a pervert, sauntering her way towards them.

"Tch. Sakura, we're adding another workout right now! Don't fall less than four feet behind me or I'm adding forty reps and twenty minutes to your workout tomorrow!" Tsunade growled.

"What?" Sakura shouted in disbelief. "Please don't!"

"Then keep up with me!"

Tsunade began running with Sakura following behind. Sakura was burnt out from the mission she had just finished helping Tsunade with. Her legs were heavy and her muscles ached. They creaked, burned, and screamed through her body, begging to rest but Sakura tried her best to ignore it. Tomorrow was going to be hell if she couldn't keep up with Tsunade. If this was just a trial, she really didn't want to become a kunoichi at this point. She didn't know how much more of this she could take.

'_Just seven more days…just seven more days…'_ she chanted to herself.

* * *

**Tuesday, August 28 12:29 pm**

"She can't come back now." Genma spat wearily.

"Three more weeks should be ok." Yamato coughed out.

"Is that really wise? I can only image what Sakura is probably going through at this point." Kakashi said exhaustedly.

"Kakashi look at us, we're a mess." Genma groaned.

"I just don't want her to think we're abandoning her or dumping her onto Tsunade's lap." Kakashi argued.

"Kakashi, we are no where near finished with this. I'm just as worried as you are but if its Tsunade, then Sakura should be fine." Yamato chided.

* * *

**Thursday, August 30 6:37 am**

"I thought I could handle it but I can't. I'm teaching you control and concealment starting today."

"What about my run?" Sakura asked.

Truth be told she didn't want to go running. After falling behind almost ten feet, and having Shizune catch up enough to drag Tsunade to the Hokage tower, Tsunade worked Sakura to the bone during her workout yesterday.

'_Just a few more days…'_ She wearily chanted.

"You're running tonight. I need to teach this to you. Sakura you flood areas and leave traces of yourself behind wherever you go. There are moments when you completely disappear but no doubt that's because you're praying to be invisible or looking for an escape route right? I hate to break it to you but you can't always wish for that. Also, I can't sleep well, and I'm pretty sure _those guys_ aren't either."

"Oh… But I haven't decided on becoming a shinobi or not so-"

"Doesn't matter. You're tiring other people out. Shinobi look like everyday people unless dressed for otherwise. Even if I mark you as a civilian, do you know how many shinobi are in this city? Civilians don't see or notice chakra but they feel the atmosphere left by it. In some cases it could make someone sick. To a shinobi, its obvious and they can see or pick up on the sloppy trails. It practically looks suspicious. Do you know why Naruto and those guys followed you?"

"Because I was stealing." Sakura grimaced.

"Not just that Sakura, its because they could see you using chakra enhanced hands to increase your theft speed. Look, there are people who have chakra at their disposal that are not shinobi. If they don't use it for work then they use it for hobbies. But there are some who grow rouge or criminal and use it to others disadvantages. You're technically a criminal because you used it for stealing but I put that into void, given your age and _situation_. I'm just surprised that someone else didn't catch or report you. You really got lucky."

"Is it really that bad?" Sakura asked slowly; making eye contact with Tsunade.

Another great feat that Sakura had been forced to accomplish. For every time she didn't make eye contact with someone was another two repetitions to her workout. Tsunade really kicked in some hard core discipline into Sakura.

Tsunade heaved a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I'm not saying this to upset you or offend you in any way, but you need to control it. Just into a smooth rhythm so that you don't waste any energy or bother others. On close observation, the reason you burn out faster is because your chakra pours out of you. You're wasting your stamina too much by trying to hold onto it and make more. I'm interested in how you haven't gotten sick yet. As for concealment, you need to know that as safe as Konoha is, there are times we get _visitors _from other cities. Depending on the level of their arrogance you could be subject to harassment or worse, a fight. I know that you're hoping to go home by Sunday but I'm asking you to stay another three weeks. That's enough time for you to learn and apply the basics just to make your life easier. I won't say anything if you say 'no' but I can't guarantee that you won't be pulled aside by authorities for questioning later. Not to mention there is still the incident with the council about your interrogation that I'm trying to ease over. If by chance you are to be interrogated, and are deemed reckless or dangerous, then you can kiss the life you have right now goodbye."

Sakura bit her lower lip, a habit she developed after being involved with these people, and gave Tsunade's words a deep thought. The authorities were the last people she wanted to encounter. Even with basic control, if she doesn't choose the life of a shinobi, then she'll need to be extra cautious for the next three years. If she does choose that life, however, she could lay low and continue taking simple labor missions like the ones she and Tsunade have been going on. Either way, things weren't in too much of her favor but she needed to make a choice. To subject herself to waiting and hiding for three more years, or to force herself into a life of a shinobi…

* * *

What was supposed to be three extra weeks turned into three months. Somehow things just kept happening on both sides that Sakura's return was always postponed. Kakashi and the rest agreed that they wanted to greet Sakura all at once but somehow missions dragged on longer between them, whether they went alone, together, or on different teams. So they were never together for more than five minutes due to their hectic schedules.

On Sakura's side, if it wasn't because of accidents, exhaustion, or studying, it was the world's funniest situation ever; becoming a woman. Quite the late bloomer Sakura was, and Tsunade, although being a woman herself, had the hardest time trying to explain to Sakura why she bleeds from where she does every month. Being one of the finest doctors across the land, you would think that explaining something like menstruation would be the easiest thing for her to do, but she couldn't. Instead she gave Sakura a book called, "What's Happening To Me?". She knew Sakura was considered a woman in terms of her sexual history, but never imagined that Sakura had no clue about the rest of the female development. In all of the crash course lessons and procedures she taught to Sakura, some that any person could do, and some only medical ninjas could do, not once had she ever gone over "Becoming a Woman 101".

In a way, these problems were was a blessing in disguise. It gave the men opportunities to take on more missions and fill their wallets and it gave Sakura more time to gain the control she needed, understand the life of a kunoichi and medic better, understand herself more, and open up towards Tsunade - who almost died of shock at just how bad things were for her. Sakura never said anything too revealing like the names of her offenders or their physical description, instead she shared bits and pieces of her abuse and how she came to giving her body up as supposedly a 'girlfriend'.

It was a good road to recovery for Sakura. She still had problems when touching other people, but her trembling was always saved for right before she went to bed. The ten minutes of trembling consumed her in fear and in excitement that she accomplished physical contact with people for the day. Tsunade, although proud of Sakura for her amount of growth, couldn't help be feel bad about how she was able to get Sakura to open up and throw some fears aside. She practically threw Sakura into the shark tank of living healthily while diving in with her.

The end results led to Sakura confidently holding conversations, speaking her thoughts, even joking a little, making eye contact, and being able to shake hands, pat shoulders, and show other forms of emotion and physical contact. Though the problem of her miniature 'tremble-sodes' still remained, it was a huge improvement for Sakura.

* * *

**Sunday, November 21 5:21 pm.**

Kakashi sat in the living room, reading through the newest edition to his Icha Icha collection. Sakura would be coming home any minute and he couldn't relax. He only prayed she was in better condition than she was before she left. As much as he used Icha Icha to calm his nerves or pass the time he couldn't find it in himself to read any further. The plot was all too similar as to what was going on right now. No doubt Naruto told Jiraiya about Sakura. Kakashi had never felt so grossed out reading his favorite series until now. To make matters worse the heroine's name was Hana. Written with the kanji for "flower". He couldn't dare to think about trashing the book because not only was a free, signed copy, but the way Jiraiya wrote was just fantastic. Kakashi was stuck and only hoped the book wasn't some sort of prophecy.

Yamato sat next to Kakashi, staring, at the mute TV screen in front of them. He too worried about Sakura's mental state and wondered if she made any progress in becoming a bit more open. He turned his head to Genma, who paced back and forth through the living room, biting his nail with a frantic expression.

"If you bite all of your nails off you'll spoil your appetite." Yamato joked.

"Hmmm." Was all that Genma could muster. His mind had been swamped in thoughts of Sakura, coming back as a second Tsunade. He wanted so much for her growth and mental recovery but she was a little_ impressionable_. She might come back with rage and fists ready to break anything in its way.

As of on queue, the 'ping-pong' of the doorbell sounded through the house and all three men ran to door, stumbling upon one another and the carpet in their way. They opened the door to see Sakura standing outside, with her long hair pulled into a ponytail and bangs elegantly draping over the sides of her face. She wore a cream colored ruffled tank top with a brown cardigan that accented the color very nicely. Her black shorts showed off her nicely, and newly toned legs and she was wearing black sandals that none of the men remembered buying for her. Slung over her right shoulder was the black duffel bag she left with but slung over her left, was a completely new, bright red duffel bag; both in which seemed to be overly stuffed in every nook and cranny of the bag. But that wasn't the interesting part. Along the ground by her feet were four other, very large tote bags filled with books, scrolls, and boxes of equipment.

"Sakura!" Genma cried. "You're still alive! I missed you so much!"

He made a leap for her in joy, ready to give her a big hug, but stopped right before even touching her with an 'oh shit' look on his face. He quickly moved away from her and eyed her cautiously, wondering about distance and proximity. He wasn't sure what happened in those three months and he wasn't going to test the waters before he knew what the temperature was.

Sakura didn't back away or cower in fear. Instead, she stood right before him with excited eyes and a calm expression. At least one thing didn't change while she was gone.

"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you or anything." he nervously coughed.

"No its fine. You can touch me." she said enthusiastically.

Enthusiastically!? Yamato, Kakashi, and Genma blinked in shock. Say what? Where did Sakura go? Who was this woman standing before them? Genma didn't seem to care since he received an 'ok', so he took this opportunity to drape himself over Sakura and give her a big hug.

"I missed you soooooo much! Kakashi wouldn't cook at aaaaaaaaaaaaaall!" He wailed.

Sakura patted his back comfortingly and found herself returning his hug which made him jump a little. Her warm, dainty arms against him felt nice and very comfortable, but there was an unusual air of confidence and some eerie feeling to them too. Genma released Sakura with firm hands on her shoulders and grinned brightly, only to see her frown. Genma wasn't sure of what she was frowning about. She said it was ok to touch her, so why was she frowning? Was it because she really wasn't ok and didn't want the physical contact? Little did Genma know, that contact wasn't the reason to her frowning; at least not for now.

Sakura observed the bruises, bandages, and scabs that seemed to adorn each of them and didn't like what she saw. What type of missions were they doing while she was gone? Had they gone to the hospital yet? She would have seen them if they did. The way the bandages were heavily wrapped onto their wounds said 'no', and that it was a quick patch job.

"What happened to you three?" she asked in a slightly raised, lecturing tone.

Was this really Sakura? Each of them stood with their mouths slightly agape and their minds drew a blank. Before anyone could even think of a reasonable explanation, Pakkun trotted out through the front doors and met up with Sakura. She quickly squatted and with her usual heated cheeks for the little dog, and affectionately scratched him.

"Its good to see you too Pakkun." she said affectionately, as Pakkun licked the sides of her arms and palms.

She stood up from her squat and looked to each of her guardians curiously. Not once did they say anything after she questioned them. This was just too weird seeing her this way. The last memory anyone had of her was the hesitant, broken woman, who couldn't make any sort of physical contact on her own without trembling; let alone speak with emotions other than fear, caution, or hesitation.

Yamato quickly swallowed hard and was the first to speak.

"Its great to have you back, Sakura." he said with a warm smile. Instead of crossing the boundary lines like Genma, he held out a hand and urged her inside; while Kakashi and Genma grabbed the ridiculously heavy bags off of the ground.

"What the hell, the demon dropped you off but didn't bother to wait for you to enter the house?" Genma gritted as he placed the bags on the hallway floor.

"Tsunade had some things to do and said it would be fine since you were all home."

"Still that's rude." he griped.

"I don't mind. Really. Actually, I was kind of relieved she left." she said nonchalantly.

Another moment of silence. Sakura was talking like a normal person and it was just too weird for any of the guys to comprehend. They knew she would eventually grow healthier but this was such a drastic change from when they last saw her. This was just too unreal.

"Ok, I'm just going to clear the elephant form the room. Sakura, I'm impressed! You're cured! When is the apocalypse arriving?" Genma joked.

Kakashi slapped the back of Genma's head and motioned towards Sakura with the same old eye crinkle he always held. Only something was different. Sakura couldn't put her finger on what it was but something was off about the gleam in the eye. It seemed sad, maybe lonely. Maybe she was interpreting things incorrectly because she hasn't seen these guys in three months. In an instant, Kakashi patted the top of her head gently and Sakura saw a warm smile form from underneath his mask.

And just as before, she had that weird, warm feeling rumbling in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't tell what the hell this feeling was. After being with Tsunade, Sakura was able to gauge and understand most types of emotions and feelings she felt but this one, she just couldn't tell what it was.

As Kakashi removed his hand from her head, waiting for her to revert back to her old self, Sakura quickly scanned each of the men in the room and asked again.

"What happened to the three of you?"

"Oh nothing really. We took some missions to pass the time during your absence. Gotta get a paycheck somehow." Genma joked.

Sakura flicked her eyes over Genma from head to toe, mentally undressing him and assessing what she could. Then to Yamato, and then to Kakashi. Each of them felt strange under her deep, analytical gaze. It was much different from her analytical looks of mistrust; this new look, had Tsunade written all over it.

Just as they thought Sakura was about to turn into a medical demon like Tsunade, she posed a simple question that really threw them off.

"What do you want for dinner?"

* * *

Sakura stood in front of the stove with a pot of boiling water and mixed at the contents of a thick sauce in another, confidently exchanging a few words with Kakashi, while Yamato and Genma moved her bags into her room and washed up. Kakashi sat upon the stool at the familiar kitchen isle she spent a lot of time on, observing every move she made. This is what a lively Sakura looked like. Although there was still a weird feeling about it, it was actually really nice. Though she still didn't smile, this was a major improvement to her personality. However, he couldn't help but feel a little bad. He wasn't there when she decided to grow and as her "guardian" he wanted to be there for her. He felt, left out for some reason.

"You're behind on your studies." Kakashi sang. "Before you left I was supposed to give you a quiz."

"I know. May I review and take the quiz after dinner?" She chirped.

"We can save that for tomorrow. You just came back and I'm sure you just want to relax."

"Its fine. I need something slow like this." she said, tasting a sample of the thick sauce. She grabbed another spoon full of the creamy, thick, liquid and looked to Kakashi expectantly. "Please taste this. I think I put too much salt. Tsunade has a fancy for salty and greasy things so I'm not sure how this fits to your tastes."

Kakashi, very stunned, came to her aid hesitantly. Things really were weird with her new found confidence and was even more stunned to see her close her eyes.

"I won't look." she said, holding out the spoon for him to taste from.

Kakashi cocked his eyebrows suspiciously at the gesture she made, but decided to taste the sauce that had begun to cool where it sat. Just what the hell did she learn while she was with Tsunade? For safety measures he took the spoon from her fingers and turned around, quickly dropping his mask to taste the rich, and savory flavor of the sauce, and quickly pulling it back up. He turned back around to see Sakura, still standing with her eyes closed, waiting for sample spoon to magically find its way back to her fingers. After returning the spoon and clearing his throat, Sakura opened her eyes and turned the heat on low for her sauce.

"Too salty?"

"N-No its great. Um, Sakura, just now…where you being considerate of my face?"

"Well there's a reason you hid it right? Tsuande said you're extremely shy."

'_Shy? Yea right.' _Kakashi scoffed mentally. Just what sort of lies has Tsunade been feeding Sakura?

Just as he was about to return to his seat Sakura tugged onto the back of his well fitted, long sleeved shirt, and spoke with a quick and steady voice.

"You can't hide that limp forever."

Kakashi turned to look over his shoulder to see Sakura thumbing the cap of a miniature spice container while looking at him expectantly.

"Now just what have you been learning at Tsunade's?" He asked in a suspicious yet joking tone.

"A lot. May I take a look?"

"Ah don't worry about it. It'll heal on its own." He said, hoping to avoid anything that could send him to the hospital. He didn't know what "a lot" meant for Sakura and feared that maybe she knew too much. She could probably send him to the place he hated the most.

"We won't know until I see." She urged.

"No really, its fine. I can just-"

Sakura grabbed a hold of Kakashi's wrist to catch his attention, but on instinct, Kakashi maneuvered her grasp and pinned her hand behind her back, causing her open hand to hit the pot of boiling water onto the floor. Sakura didn't flinch as the loud clanging crashed towards the floor and the searing hot water splashed her shins and feet, but she did flinch at Kakashi's fast reaction to carry her off of the floor. He rushed her towards the sink and sat her upon the counter, removing her sandals along the way and using the spray nozzle to douse her shins and feet into the cool water.

"Kakashi its ok I can-" she started, but stopped when she made eye contact with him.

Kakashi looked at her with deep, serious, yet desperate eyes that apologized a million times on end. Three months wasn't enough to heal those scars and he knew it. The last thing he wanted was to cause a relapse trauma within Sakura but so far nothing was happening. Instead, she looked back at him.

She was locked in his visible, onyx colored eye and couldn't look away. The pure shock she held about his touch immediately brought back old memories and quickly tried her best to push it down to the depths of her mind. Cases like this happened with Tsunade but they weren't as terrifying as they were right now. It had to be the fact that Kakashi was a man that the magnitude of her feelings were much more intense. But what was this other feeling? Her heart, which had stopped for a second, pounded slowly against her chest in an attempt to activate her fight or flight response but didn't. She could hear each loud thumping against her chest drown her ears as she stared into his eye. She didn't know what to do or understand what was happening. She was terrified all over again, but now, not in the sense of old recurring memories. Her proximity to Kakashi was not a welcomed one, but she also felt like she couldn't stand it if he wasn't close. Her heart suddenly began to race, the butterflies and nervousness flapped around inside her gut, her breathing picked up, her senses heightened and her limbs threatened to quiver in anticipation. Too many things were happening at once and Sakura had no clue just what the hell was happening.

Genma and Yamato had ran into the kitchen upon the sound of the crash and observed the scene carefully. The first thing they expected to see was a scared to death Sakura and a nervous Kakashi, trying his best to sooth the situation. But they didn't see that. They saw a way too normal Sakura, sitting atop of the counter with her feet slung into the sink, and Kakashi, spraying water onto them.

* * *

Dinner was awkward at first. After a lecture to Kakashi and an apology to Sakura, everyone seemed to be on just flat out awkward terms. At first it was her new found personality and confidence that made things weird, but the fact that Kakashi and Sakura looked a little too close for words raised some questions. However, that didn't stop Yamato and Genma from striking conversations with Sakura about her stay with Tsunade.

She told them about her experiences and the daily deathly trials she was thrown into and was drilled at constantly. She was asked about her thoughts and decision about becoming a kunoichi but she only responded with an 'I don't know.', and elaborated on lacking the resolve she needed to become one. She openly admitted she wasn't strong enough nor was she brave enough to do so and couldn't make a sound decision about it. Genma had suggested odd labor missions like the ones Tsunade threw her into and Sakura replied again with 'I don't know.".

After dinner, Sakura was told not to clean up and to follow her guardians up to her room. Sakura of course, curiously followed along and walked the all too familiar steps up the stairs and stopped before entering her room. Sakura looked at the door suspiciously but slowly grabbed the doorknob, only imagining a prank, slyly lying in wait, like the pranks Tsunade had often set up to increase her perception and reflexes. With a twist of the knob she opened the door slowly and entered the dark room, cautiously flipping the light switch to see not a prank, but a completely redone room.

The once white colored walls were now a deep burgundy color with a white trim all along the bottom of the baseboards. To her left, was a band new, smoothly lacquered black desk and a tall, large, black bookshelf fixed nicely between the desk and the corner of the wall. To her right was a matching black dresser and in the corner was a recognizable, white single sofa that pulled out into a sleeper sofa with red and black accent pillows followed by a large, lined basket filled with yarn on the floor. She could clearly see the book she remembered from the office shop peaking behind the yarn and looked to her guardians confusedly, but turned her attention back towards the room. Her bed, was straight ahead, like it always was, only it was no longer a full size, but a queen size with a deep black bed frame, pure white bed sheets, four pillows covered crimson colored pillow cases with adorning black and white throw pillows, and a black blanket with an intricate design of white cherry blossom trees. The worn out looking night stand was still to the right of her bed but it had a new black, lacquer finish and a white lamp resting on top. Both of her duffel bags sat at the foot of her bed while the large tote bags were laid in a straight line along the same, dark brown floorboards of her room.

Sakura's brain seemed to stop functioning after looking at the new items and design of her room. It was modern, but it still felt cozy and calming. But that wasn't what made her brain stop thinking. It was just the drastic change of her room that caused it. She couldn't process what she was seeing and was completely lost.

"W-What happened?" She asked in disbelief.

Glancing around the room, there was still a lot of space left and Sakura really wondered if this was the smallest room in the house. She had never entered or seen the other bedrooms but quickly disbanded that thought from her head and tried to process her room once more.

"This was the mission that required you to stay with Tsunade." Genma beamed as he pranced inside without a second thought.

"We thought it was a good idea to send you away for two weeks while we gave your room a new look." Kakashi chirped, slowly entering and sitting upon the black rolling chair at her new desk.

"Why?" she asked confusedly.

"Because we wanted you to know that this is your home. That you live here. Not that you stay here." Yamato said from her door frame. He entered last and made his way to her new, white closet and slid the doors left and right. "We made the access to your closet easier and we also redid your bathroom."

Sakura raised her eyebrows and peaked to the right side of her closet and into the door of a freshly redone bathroom. Her sink was new and deeper with a white marble counter-top and a black cabinet with drawers underneath. Instead of a small mirror with a medicine cabinet attached, there was now a large mirror mounted up against the wall with small shelves with little doors adorning each side. Her once low, and smaller toilet was now upgraded to a larger, taller size and the bathroom tiles along the floor and walls were all brand new. Her shower and her tub were different as well. Instead of the small cube sized shower with little shelf space, she now had a large rectangular glass shower with ample amount space for her to move and hold her toiletries. But the main event was her bathtub. The old, poor excuse for a western styled claw-foot bathtub was gone and replaced with a deep rectangular tub with a marble ledge and what looked to be jets on the inside of the tub. Much to what Tsunade's thunder pool-tub looked like, only not round.

Sakura looked outside of the bathroom and gawked at the men inside her room. She couldn't think. She couldn't speak. She felt like passing out.

"That's a very nice expression you're wearing. What other faces have you learned when you were gone?" Genma laughed, clearly loving the new form of emotion of her face.

"I…I…I'm shocked…I-I don't know what to-"

"Oh yes lets not forget the very special part of room." Kakashi sang as he made his way to her large window that was on the left side of her bed. Kakashi pulled her white curtains aside and Sakura gaped at what _was_ the large window. There was now a French styled window/door that led off onto a decent sized balcony with a small round table and a chair to match.

Sakura stared, and stared, and stared. No matter how much she stared, she just couldn't understand what the hell happened to her room. She was gone for three months and two weeks and her room looked just as extravagant as the one she stayed at in Tsunade's mansionette.

"I don't understand. Why-" she started, but her words cut off short as she tried to absorb the new additions.

"Like I said before, we wanted you to feel that this was your home and not a place you stayed at." Yamato said smiling warmly to Sakura.

"This…this looks so expensive." She gasped.

"Not at all. Hero discount helped a lot." Genma laughed.

"Hero discount?"

"Perks, remember? There was a good discount since we're shinobi but we had an even bigger one because we bought in bulk. So, do you like it?" Kakashi crooned

"…It's amazing…is this really ok?" Sakura said, clearly at a loss for words. Tsunade had taught her the importance of accepting other's offers even if it felt like it was too much for her but this was just too much.

"Yes its fine. Besides its not our money that paid for it, though it was our labor. But do you like it?" Genma hooted.

Sakura looked to the excited, happy faces that filled the room, waiting patiently for her answer. Sakura was touched, an emotion and feeling she learned and felt when she was with Tsunade. She didn't know what to say. No one has ever done so much for her than these guys and Tsunade have in her entire life. She did the only thing she could do.

"I like it…very much" She said earnestly...with a smile.

Her first smile. One she never did even with Tsunade. Sakura had always practiced smiling in the mirror but could never conjure a genuine one. But today, she truly felt the need, and that the moment was right, that she could openly smile.

All three men stopped in their tracks and gawped at the smile on Sakura's face. A real smile. It wasn't a big smile but it wasn't a half assed smile either. Seeing the genuine muscles on her face work to form an appreciative smile with soft eyes seemed to be the absolute best thing in the world to them. Sakura was a beautiful girl, but her smile was a little too dangerously beautiful, even if she didn't mean for it to be so. Genma felt something gouge at his heart, Yamato felt his stomach drop, and Kakashi felt his cheeks heat. Any awkward feelings they had of Sakura up until this point were gone and the only thing that mattered was thinking of ways to keep her smiling.


	10. A Sweet Job

**Saturday, November 17 10:45 am**

It has been six days since Sakura has been back and the very obvious thing Kakashi, Genma, and Yamato failed to notice, was her control. They had been able to sleep and wake up feeling completely rested and more willing to start the day than they ever had since they met her. They thought it was due to her new attitude and radiating personality but it wasn't until she came back from an early morning run did they start to notice her new control, habits, and form of studying.

Aside from doing the house chores like she always did, this time by choice rather than fear or monotonous cycle, she would speed read through the lessons she greatly fell behind on. And not the speed reading most people did. She didn't use a collection of reading methods which attempted to increase rates of reading without greatly reducing comprehension or retention. She didn't use methods that included chunking and eliminating subvocalization. She creatively came up with a sly way of using chakra to increase her speed without reducing her comprehension and retention. It was a little thing she thought of while she was with Tsunade. There was never enough time in the day to memorize all the drills and information that was thrown her way, no matter how fast she read or caught on to the subject or discussion at hand. It was when she came upon a manga book lying around Tsunade's office did she get the idea of trying to enhance her eyes and fingers at the same time. If the main character could use magical glasses that increased her reading by tenfold then who is to say that Sakura couldn't apply that property to herself? She was already smart and read at quite an exceptional speed, but never had enough time to get books and articles done, what with the feeling of exhaust consuming her through the strict physical discipline she was forced to participate in.

Tsunade said so herself that chakra was bountiful if used correctly and could be used for many different phenomena that could make any fiction book or movie seem plausible. And that it held one of the many wonders in the world through nature. It could be used positively or negatively through proper balance and Sakura decided to try out the so called 'balance' on herself, with the supervision of a certain Hokage of course. The first week caused her nothing but migraines but by the second week, she developed a 'smooth rhythm' in conjunction to her output and input ratio of chakra. A 'complex trick' Tsunade had acknowledged, but didn't approve of completely. In terms of learning, it could only be used to accommodate Sakura and no one else. But in terms of being a person, it made her seem almost inhuman at times as she timed Sakura reading a book with and without the enhancement. So long as Sakura didn't use it for extensive periods of time, Tsunade didn't see the problem in using it.

Which brings us back to Sakura's new habits. Upon speed reading, Sakura had a tendency to remove her shoes or sandals in an attempt to 'cool off'. But the truth behind it was that she couldn't clench her toes. Like most people who grit their teeth in anger, pain, or pleasure, the faster she read the more she felt like gripping or clenching her toes onto or against something solid while her eyes and hands were preoccupied with what she was reading. She couldn't do that with her feet confined or restricted. But even if she wasn't reading, she was just accustomed shedding her sandals or shoes off whenever it wasn't needed.

As for Sakura's control, it happened by accident when Genma made Sakura feel embarrassed with the oldest joke in the book.

"Hey Sakura, guess what?" Genma said excitedly as he jumped from the couch upon Sakura coming back inside from an afternoon run.

"What?" she asked, thinking it was something relevant to her history practice quiz or something important.

"Chicken butt." he laughed.

Sakura looked at him with a confused expression on her face but didn't understand what he meant.

"You wanna know what else?" he beamed.

"…uh…what?"

"You're butt smells." he sniggered

Sakura knew she was sweating a little too much that day and felt a little gross with herself. But the fact that Genma pointed it out made her feel embarrassed and she lost control for a bit, letting her feelings and chakra ooze through some cracks. She quickly controlled it again and immediately ran upstairs to take a long, heavy shower while Kakashi and Yamato sighed at Genma's ignorance and forced him to apologize.

All in all things were going well and Sakura had been considering the idea of becoming a kunoichi. After three brutal months of being with Tsunade, Sakura found that her life was growing a little boring. Wake up, cook and clean, eat, study for her upcoming G.E.D test - which she was a little too prepared for now, work out, shower, study some more, cook, read and study before she slept, then slept, then woke up again. Sakura had to admit that before she met any of them, she felt dead inside. Like a walking corpse. But now that she had been able to live and feel alive in more ways than one, she felt like she wanted more. And something about being a kunoichi made her more life seem more alive and exciting.

Her weekends to come were to be filled with anything and everything dealing with the hospital and health, and Sakura had to admit she found medicine fascinating and ever changing - so much that she just couldn't get enough. But something about it wasn't enough. Was it just because she was studying by herself? Studying with Tsunade was more pressuring but she had some fun, though she mostly made Sakura study medicine as if she were a normal person. Not once, after returning, has Sakura gotten to study or really practice her skills and some procedures with a chakra standard since her stay with Tsunade. Yamato and Kakashi had recently returned from a mission with a few bruised ribs and a significant amount of damage that was easy for Sakura to patch up - a perfect opportunity to use her chakra, but they wouldn't let her touch them. She thought it was because they didn't trust her but that wasn't the issue. It was because they didn't want to influence her on becoming a medic or a kunoichi based on always having to heal them or patch them up. She could go to school like a regular person and get a degree like a regular person and work like a regular person, but they didn't want to be the influence or reason she decided on a life of danger and exhaustion. Considering her age, it was going to be a tough decision for her unlike children who were thrown into the academy for training.

As much as she found it interesting and exciting, Sakura couldn't bring herself to make a sound decision. She wanted to study it badly and practice around with it with her chakra, but not with the pressure of actually becoming a medic or kunoichi. She was torn. Thinking about it was exciting and a part of her wanted to make that leap into a life of danger, but another part of her told her 'no'.

If that wasn't bad enough, as great as she was progressing, she was still dealing with the demons that hung around and felt heavy against her back like scars. The brooding feeling of left over hate, disgust, despair, and death. If she was going to move on with her life the first thing she needed to do was rid herself of these 'scars' that she carried around. She couldn't care less if she made new scars in the future, but what she cared about were the scars that held nothing but her past self.

Pulling her hair into a high bun, Sakura walked into her bathroom and shed herself of her shirt and bra and looked into the large mirror. Why was she looking in the mirror? She hated looking there. It only reminded her of her ugliness. It only made herself want to scratch and claw at herself. She turned to see nothing on her body and frowned. Her perfect looking skin that would be deemed flawless by anyone looked so creamy and smooth in her reflection but that was nothing but a ruse. As her fingers touched her back she shuddered at the awful feeling behind her fingers. She couldn't hide it any longer if she wanted these scars gone. She needed to take Tsunade's words, and seek her guardians signatures for an extensive procedure Tsunade was offering. One to help her rid herself of her scars. Until then, Tsunade had taught her a little trick to hide it.

Sakura sighed and let her back show what it really looked like. Bit by bit her back slowly phased in and out in a blurry fashion from a smooth, beautiful back, to the disgusting image of raised skin in different shapes and patterns all over. The scars that were left behind for all of those years when things were really bad. For the scars she could reach now, she trailed her fingers across them, grimacing at the feel of smooth and lumpy skin altogether. The ones that made her feel ugly and more disgusting, were the scars that were formed upon other scars leaving her back to look like a traffic mess. All because she couldn't reach and heal herself before.

When your mobility is restricted and only your fingertips could be placed firmly against your back, of course your self healing would be led astray. There were different swipes of directions in which she healed herself and patterns of extra tissue that formed from in between her fingers and in between her healing sessions, and improper chakra balance. Her back, being the only place she couldn't heal properly growing up was her main weakness and was heavily sought after. If that man had tried to damage her back anymore than it already was she would turn around and force him to injure other parts that she would have been able to see and reach.

She observed the different amounts of discoloration all around her back and felt sick. It was hideous. Monstrous. She reached as far as she could up her back with her hands and sunk hair nails in deep, and slowly dragged them down. She had wanted to claw them off of her and have it go away but that wasn't going to work. She looked upon the scratches and scrapes she left herself just now and within the past week. Some were still pink and some were scabbing. She didn't dare to heal them with chakra because she knew it would go away; that it wouldn't leave an unsightly scar such as the ones that already plagued her back.

Her only self reassurance was the thought, "At least I still look like a woman."

Sakura grimaced even more. The scars were just too unsightly. She felt ugly. She felt like all her hard work up until now was pointless as long as they still remained. And with the words of Tsunade ringing in her ears, she needed to build the courage to ask Kakashi and Yamato to sign her procedure papers. The more she thought about it, it shouldn't have been that hard to talk about it. She had already been joking with them and she had seen a few of their scars; though theirs were much more cooler and heroic looking. It showed their pride and dedication to the city and its people. Unlike hers, they were scars to be proud of.

Feeling upset and disgusted with herself, she threw her bra and shirt back on and turned to see Pakkun sitting there in her bathroom doorway with the saddest looking eyes on his face.

Pakkun had seen it all. Her disturbing back and discoloration between old and older scars. He felt absolutely horrible for her. What made things worse was witnessing her digging her nails into her back just before throwing her shirt back on. He wanted so bad to talk to her but he still had yet to receive the 'ok' from Kakashi to speak.

'_What the hell, screw it' _he thought. _'Its about time she learns about summons anyways!'_

"Are you hungry? I thought Kakashi fed you already." She said with a smile.

"Sakura please don't gouge at your back anymore." Pakkun said with a deep, gruff tone.

Sakura looked at Pakkun for a second, trying to process what the hell just happened and immediately threw water on her face to look at Pakkun again.

"I think I might be getting sick." Sakura laughed, dabbing her face with her towel.

"No you're not sick. I can talk."

Sakura blinked and said nothing as she tried to process the situation again. Pakkun spoke. And it wasn't a ventriloquist's trick either. She walked passed Pakkun and made her way to her bed, slowly sitting at the edge as the little pug pattered across tot floor and sat in front of her.

"You can talk." She said, trying to comprehend the situation.

"Yes I can talk. More importantly, please don't dig your nails into your back. You're making it look a lot worse."

Sakura's face grimaced and she looked to Pakkun with eyes of fear.

"Dogs don't talk. I'm sick." she gulped.

"You're not sick. I can talk."

"…"

"…"

Out of nowhere, Sakura pulled out a dumbfounded expression and stood abruptly from where she sat and walked out of her room with Pakkun following behind.

"I'm sick. That's the only explanation. Dogs lack the proper vocal cords and mouth to form words." she laughed out.

She walked downstairs and into the kitchen to see Yamato and Genma talking about a mission at the kitchen island but she didn't greet them. She hurriedly dug through the little medicine shelf within the pantry making shuffle and clank noises and the two men shared an interested look.

"Sakura what are you looking for?" Yamato asked curiously.

"Flu medicine. I'm sick."

Yamato stood and walked to her, gently placing a hand on her forehead to feel her skin. Yamato didn't know she had just splashed her face and his worry formed a bit. They haven't dealt with a sick Sakura before. People in the house have only had colds so a flu was supposed to be worse…right? Before he panicked even more, he decided to take a safe approach.

"Well you do feel a little clammy. Are you sure its not a cold? Do you want me to make you something?"

"No I'm sure. I'm seeing and hearing things. Pakkun just talked to me. And no, I'm just going to go to bed after I find the medicine." she said with such enthusiasm.

"No way! He did?" He and Genma gasped.

He and Yamato quickly turned their attention to the little pug that sat by the kitchen entrance and looked back to one another.

"I know right? It's so absurd! I told you I'm sick." she said, thinking they agreed with her.

"Um Sakura Pakkun-" Genma started, but was cut off quickly by the little pug.

"Talks. Yes I talk." he ruffed.

Genma and Yamato looked at Pakkun with wide eyes and looked to Sakura to see her stare at Pakkun in just as much surprise and shock. There was no way Kakashi gave him the 'ok' to speak. Should they play it off that Sakura was sick? No. That was too mean of them to do to her. They still didn't know everything she picked up from Tsunade's and had yet to see Sakura pissed. Did she have Tsunade's temper hidden very well within her? If she found out they were lying to her about her being sick would she beat them senseless?

"Yes I'm sick. Very sick. Dogs don't talk." she said reassuringly and nodded her head. "I'm going to sleep. Maybe I've studied too much and I'm having a break down."

"Listen here missy, I talk. You're not sick. You're perfectly fine." Pakkun growled.

Sakura walked towards the sink to see Pakkun following her and scolding her that she's perfectly fine. She then walked in a circle around the island many times with Pakkun at her heels continuing to lecture her and she would continue saying out loud, "Dogs don't talk! I'm sick!"

It was quite the sight to witness as Yamato and Genma were stunned for words.

"Missy I'm as real as any person in this room! For proof I can tell them what I saw earlier and-"

"Oh well what do you know? I'm not sick after all." she beamed loudly.

She quickly swooped over and picked up the pug, making a dash to her room leaving a confused and shocked Yamato and Genma in the kitchen.

"Um…we can't hide that anymore…" Genma laughed nervously.

* * *

**1:04 pm**

Sakura heard a knocking on her bedroom door and opened it a bit to see Yamato standing with a sandwich on a plate and a bottle of water tucked under his arm.

"You didn't eat lunch so I thought I'd bring you something." he said with a smile.

Yamato. The least threatening person in the house. Sakura felt somewhat close to him though she showed equality amongst everyone in the house. She nodded and let him enter as she trotted back to her bed and pushed her books to the side, carefully trying not to close them or lose the page numbers she had left them on. She then sat with her legs crossed and patted the spot next to her and Yamato took that as the 'ok' to enter; of course leaving the bedroom door wide open.

"So… have you come to terms if you're sick or not?" he joked.

"Yes I have." she said as-a-matter-of-factly. "I have come to the conclusion that Pakkun is in fact real after constant reading and research."

"I see. And where is Pakkun?"

"He left. I threatened to shave him."

Yamato laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Why would you shave him?"

"I thought he was a dog. He's seen me-"

Sakura stopped herself short of finishing her sentence. She couldn't tell him about the atrocity upon her back. At least not yet. Would it have been better to just leave it as Pakkun seeing her naked? Wasn't that worse? Changing in front of a dog? What would he say if she said 'he's seen me naked.'? Not only did a flush of pink come across her face in embarrassment but she carried a troubled expression. Although it was true she changed or was completely naked in front of Pakkun, didn't that sound shameful?

Her fingers slyly took the sandwich from the plate and brought it close to her lips, taking a bite in tow. Yamato didn't say anything but he could guess that Sakura meant to finish her sentence with the word, 'naked'. He only thought that she would be concerned with Pakkun telling any of them what she looked like under her clothing and then concluded why she threatened to shave Pakkun.

Halfway through her sandwich, she drank from the bottle of water Yamato uncapped and handed to her and sighed in contempt.

"Thanks." she muttered.

A few moments passed and it was quiet. Awkward, and quiet. Yamato was about to stand and leave when she grabbed the bottom hem of his shirt and looked to him with pursed lips; contemplating on what she wanted to say. Not only did she want to change the topic about Pakkun but she had other things pressing her mind.

"Yamato…what if…and I'm only saying what if…"

"Hmm?" he hummed curiously.

"What if…um…what if I only want to be a genin…just what if?" she grumbled.

Yamato blinked for a bit, taking in her question and looked at her quizzically.

"Sakura, where is this coming from?"

"Its just a 'what if' question… I'm just asking…. _If_ I become a genin, I can just take labor missions….right?"

"Sakura you don't have to worry about that. You can go to school and get a part-time job like a normal person."

Sakura frowned and searched his eyes as she continued to ask him more questions.

"But I'm asking 'what if'. I wouldn't need supervision unless it was a "C" rank mission but I highly doubt I'll take anything higher than "D"…so…"

Yamato sighed at returned to his spot next to Sakura, only this time sitting more into her bed.

"Sakura, are you actually thinking about becoming a shinobi?"

"Please answer my questions. Whether I decide or not is my decision but I just want to know what to expect if I do decide I want to do it or not…there's still the option of being a civilian and I know that very well because Kakashi tells me that all of the time. Genma pops it in sometimes but he doesn't push me into anything nor does he tell me much either. So just be honest with me…"

Yamato sighed again and tapped his finger against his knee. The look on Sakura's face said she was serious and said she was going to call Tsunade if he didn't entertain her questions. Tsunade would be more than thrilled to hear Sakura asking and would just throw her into it while explaining things along the way but this was serious. Most kids who joined the academy learned about everything before and during school. It gave them time to think about whether they really wanted to do it or not. The kids that were thrown into the academy from expecting family members were raised on the decision and taught basic skills for a life of a shinobi before entering the academy. But Sakura was too different. She was raised normally… No, he couldn't say she was raised normally but there was nothing else to compare her situation to. This would be a really important and tough decision for her to make seeing as she hasn't learned or started anything from childhood like most people did.

"_If_ you do that, "D" rank is ok. You'd be supervised a few times but you'd mainly have another genin as a partner or you'll be on a team. It depends on the job required. But Sakura you need to know that if you become a shinobi your paychecks are more of commissions. Your health and housing are taken care of but spending money is different. There are job placements for people like us and we can take leave from work without consequences if its for a mission, but you need to think carefully about something like that. Things change a lot in our field of work. I don't want to influence you or-"

"I am just asking a hypothetical question so please answer it honestly." she cut in.

Another sigh came from Yamato's lips and he looked to Sakura with serious yet sad eyes. A big part of him hoped she wasn't going to choose this path after everything he might answer for her. He hoped that he and Kakashi did the right thing by ignoring her concerns and urges to want to help them heal.

"Sakura, my main income is from missions and the same applies to Kakashi. But Genma is different. He's a bodyguard for the Hokage so he makes a regular, hourly wage when he works and he makes an extra income if he takes a mission. Its not a glamorous life. Instead of becoming a genin, why not opt for a medic or nurse? If you learn under Tsunade you can keep a genin title and earn and hourly wage without having to embark on missions…."

"I'm just want to know my options…" she said quickly.

"Sakura the path of a shinobi is not an easy one. There are some "D" ranked missions that turn into "C" or "B" in unfortunate favors. There is always danger revolving around people like us. When you proceed to grow more skillful or powerful you're put into higher ranking missions and the risks are even higher. If you mess up you could end up gravely injured or dead. You might lose a teammate who you feel close to. Its a life we shinobi chose to live and a resolve we've built for the dangers involved."

Sakura nodded as she carefully as she listened to Yamato's words and gave him a thoughtful expression.

"Yamato, its only a 'what if' question. I understand the risks involved but I'm only inquiring because everyone tries to avoid it."

Yamato looked towards the books on her bed and then to the books on her desk. They were all lined up neatly with what seemed like hundreds of tabs and insert notes while a few lay open with highlighted words and sentences; all of them being medical books and written procedures Tsunade had given to Sakura. The thoughts of her becoming a medic or a nurse seemed much more likeable rather than her becoming a shinobi but who was he to say she couldn't become one? She might have been planning on it after she was considered a legal adult.

Yamato turned to face Sakura again, still seeing her serious yet thoughtful expression and sighed again for what seemed like the hundredth time. But what finally hit him was something completely off of what they were discussing. She had just called him by his name. This was the first time she ever addressed anyone, other than Tsunade, by name. Thinking back at how she said his name, something about it sounded smooth and sweet like honey. It made him feel closer to her as some pride swelled slightly in the pit of his stomach. He was the first one in the house she addressed by name.

The two continued their conversation for what seemed like a good two or three hours with Yamato answering all of her questions. But he couldn't help but see Sakura in a different light than before. Her growth was astonishing and she was actually quite the cheerful young woman. She had a radiance that filled a room with warmth and he felt that is should just stay that way. She was a pleasant sight to behold and a presence that was much wanted and maybe even needed in this house. The mood was always nice when anyone came home to a warm meal, clean clothes, and a beautiful, intriguing woman. He didn't want her to embark on a dangerous life like he and the rest did. It was fine for her to be happy and live a normal life.

* * *

**Friday, November 23 8:27 am**

"A part time job?" Kakashi mused with interest.

"Genma took me to a café the other day and they're looking for a part timer. I still don't know what I want and I thought that maybe I could get some work experience at least." Sakura defended.

Kakashi cocked his head to the side and held his chin between his thumb and index finger; rubbing it in slow thoughtful circles. He hummed a bit as he thought about it and looked at Sakura's expression. The determination in her eyes and the inquisitive look on her face were very nice to see and he hummed a bit more in satisfaction. Sakura was definitely growing in confidence and it was great in Kakashi's opinion. Though he knew there was still a major setback to her new found growth, he never argued with it. Seeing her have a tremble episode one night made him question everything that happened but he never approached her about it. It was obvious she wasn't used to touching people but she was able to push it aside until the end of the day.

Kakashi hummed some more and looked her over from head to toe. He couldn't see an ounce of hesitance in her but wondered how long it would last. It pained him seeing her tremble alone at night and having her work part time would only increase the amount of people and stress. It would probably drive her insane. Or maybe it would be one of the best things for her. Somewhere along the way she would get accustomed to excessive interaction and maybe break from her tremble episodes, but Kakashi didn't know. He couldn't know. All he did know was that he wanted her to have a free will on her own and that meant she would make her own decisions about her life. But a part of him wanted her to stay within the bubble of protection he and the others had created for her.

"What about your studies?" he asked curiously.

"Finished."

"But you have a G.E.D. examination coming up. I don't want you to-"

"I won't fail." she quickly defended with enthusiasm and determination.

"Why do you want to work so soon?"

A flick of betrayal crossed her face but she quickly regained her composure.

"I just want to get a feel of working. I know it seems like a stretch because its in a popular area so the drive to work would be about ten to fifteen minutes from here, but Genma said it would be fine since he knows the owner and that they could give me a schedule that's not bad for Genma."

"So Genma put you up to this?"

"Not really…at first I thought it was stupid but somehow the idea grew on me."

"What about the hospital? I thought Tsunade declared you as her pupil? Wouldn't you be working as an intern under her directly? And wasn't that supposed to have been every weekend starting last week?"

"Yes but…um...she's still waiting for me to give her a definite answer..." she mumbled.

"I see."

"..."

"You have a lot of nerve making the Fifth Hokage wait." he laughed.

"..."

"She must really like you if she hasn't come here herself to drag you to the hospital. Does she know about the part time job?"

Sakura stayed quiet. She was waiting for permission first from Kakashi and Yamato before she told Tsunade. They were her guardians after all before Tsunade. And knowing that woman, she probably would have shouted and thrown Sakura into a spartan work out.

"...No... But who was I supposed to ask? You guys are my guardians so I'm supposed to ask you." she exhaled irritatedly

"That's a little cheeky of you to say." Kakashi chuckled. Never had he seen her irritated and he was liking this new set of emotions. She really was just seventeen and he held down a laugh. She was obviously mature for her age and came a long way from abuse and fear, but she never had a chance to experience the rebellious age like most people did at seventeen. Something about her feisty side came off as cute and Kakashi felt like he wanted to make her mad on purpose; but he'll save that for later. This was supposed to be a serious conversation.

A few moments passed and it was quiet. Kakashi stared at Sakura and she stared back; waiting for him to say something more. Anything would have been fine. She was used to him changing the subject to something absurd or profound but the quiet was uncomfortable. As much as she trusted him she still couldn't. That masked face said nothing but deceit and those eye crinkles weren't something she could believe in completely like Naruto or anyone in the house could.

Kakashi cleared his throat and relaxed his shoulders.

"I won't say 'no'. Its like you said. You don't know what you want yet. She was practically throwing a health profession into your face and taking you on odd missions. I don't see a problem with it._ Just don't let it affect your studies_." Kakashi sang, though he stressed the importance of the last sentence.

'_What am I saying? I sound like I'm trying to be a father!'_ he thought and shuddered.

'_What is he saying? He sounds like he's trying to be a father… gross..'_ she thought.

* * *

**Tuesday, December 4 2:45 pm**

Nine days working at the café flew by faster than Sakura had realized. She was a fast learner and was thankful for that. Recipes, procedures, greetings, they were all too easy for her. This had to have been the most simple thing she had ever done.

The café was simple too. They served all types of dishes that ranged from light snacks and beverages to heavier, filling dishes. The interior was warm and quaint with large panel windows that let in a lot of sunlight. Along the main floor fit about seven tables that seated four people at a time and seven smaller tables that seated two. Though the room was still spacious and could fit more tables and chairs, Sakura knew very well that the café did just fine with the daily average of customers that entered so there was no need for extra seating arrangements. It was perfect and the business did well.

Sakura had just finished changing into her spare uniform, after an accidental spill from her customer, and examined herself in the mirror just before returning to the main serving floor. Her uniform was simple as well and Sakura had a little crush on herself when she saw herself wearing it. It was cute in her opinion. A simple white button up short sleeve shirt, a black clip on bow with a ribbon for her neck, a nicely fitted black vest, a black skirt that came slightly above her knees, black stockings and shoes, and a white apron that tied at her hips and fluttered as far as her skirt. It was simple. Very simple. But it looked very good on her.

She made sure her hair was still neatly kept in her respectable ponytail and fixed the the little bangs she let hang from the sides of her face.

'_Perfect.'_ She thought cheerfully, and made her way out of the bathroom and passed the storage room.

"Sakura I'm sorry but could you stay back for about two more hours? Saki-chan is running really late and we need you to serve on her shift for a bit. Can you handle that?" the owner called from the storage room.

"That's fine if you pay me overtime." she laughed. "Just let me call home and-"

"I'll call Genma for you. Thank you so much! You're really saving me here Sakura!" the owner called again.

The owner was a tall, calm man with long black hair in which he tied into a bun and wore circular glasses. He was very nice gentleman who got along well with his waiters and waitresses and although Sakura didn't trust him because of this traits, she found herself easing into his personality and mannerisms along the course of working with him. Maybe it was possible to trust people who seemed good or perfect in societies eyes.

Sakura, who entered the service area, grabbed a tray of teas and cakes, made her way towards a table of young, annoying women who were not only picky, but very bitchy towards her. Harsh tones, specific orders, ridiculing remarks, Sakura heard it all as they spoke behind her back about her and her pink hair. Though Sakura didn't care for them. Anything they said about her didn't matter since she's heard nothing but worse things all her life. A few remarks, she had to admit, hit her where it hurt, but she was a strong girl. She did, however, feel the urge to smack them silly but knew better. She believed in Kakashi's words that day in the dressing room. "There are good people out there and you just happened to meet the bad ones first." If she didn't believe in his words then surely she would have given up on her job and her life altogether. These girls were definitely a part of the 'bad ones' crowd but Sakura didn't mind them. She had a lot of nice customers too so it was a well balanced world from inside the café.

The bell on the door dinged and chimed and Sakura turned to greet her new set of customers when she saw Yamato and Kakashi enter hesitantly. It was obvious they never frequented to a café and the awkward stances and smiles told all.

"Welcome to the Cat's Eye Café. For how many?" she beamed with a smile.

Kakashi and Yamato couldn't help but feel a little flustered at her beaming smile and cheerful attitude in her uniform. This was the first time they saw her at work and wanted to see how she was doing but they obviously didn't have to worry anymore.

"Two." Kakashi said, indicating with his fingers and waving them side to side.

"Alright, please follow me." She said, grabbing for a pair of menus and led them to a table by one of the large window panes.

After seating them in their respectable seats she looked at them with a smile and asked, "So what brings you here?"

"Nothing really. We were just nearby and remembered the shop was close so we thought we'd take stroll and see how you were." Kakashi hummed.

"Well that was thoughtful but I would have just seen you at home."

"But I want to pick on you today." Kakashi joked.

"Hey that's not nice." Yamato laughed. "Don't mind him Sakura."

"I don't mind. Feel free to bother me when you need to and I will try my best to make your experience here a good one. Now if you will excuse me, I will check up on you in a bit." Sakura sang and turned on the balls of her feet towards a group of people who had pulled three tables together for a gathering at the beginning of her shift.

"This is very interesting." Kakashi mused, as he placed the menu on the table and pulled out a brand new Icha Icha book.

"She's quite taken with her work isn't she?"

"Hmm. I suppose."

"You still have your doubts?"

"No. She a young woman who can make her own decisions. It's none of my concern. As long as she studies and does her part under our watch then its fine isn't it?" Kakashi said flatly and turned a page of his book.

"You're just as worried as I am."

"Who knows."

"Hey… listen there is something that should be brought to your attention."

"Hmm?"

"About two or three weeks ago Sakura asked about becoming a genin…"

"Hmm?" Kakashi hummed, closing his book quickly and flashing a glare to Yamato. "And you didn't tell me about this why?"

"Well they were only 'what if' questions and we haven't been telling her anything. I thought I'd answer her questions. I still stressed the importance of school and-"

"My, my, sounds like a typical teenager thing to do. When the father says no, they go the mother." Kakashi teased.

"But you never said no. You just didn't entertain her questions. I was just honest about it. Kakashi if we don't have a real conversation with her about it then she'll decide to do it anyways and try to find out for herself. Curiosity kills and in our line of work, it literally does. Wait what? Since when am I the mother?"

"I'm the primary guardian and you're the secondary. Doesn't that mean I'm the father and you're the mother, _dear_?" Kakashi cooed.

Yamato grimaced at Kakashi and shuddered at his knew nickname.

"Please don't give me weird names."

"Why not? You're more motherly than I am."

"Am not! Don't joke like that! It's gross!"

"My, my. My _darling_ is acting out on me. Please don't tell me you're cheating on me with Genma." Kakashi said with disbelief and placed a hand on his heart.

"I am not cheating on you with anyone. Hey, wait! You set me up for that!"

"This surely is the first time I've been able to rile you up like I do with Genma. So its true. You're cheating on me."

"Please stop with the sick jokes already." Yamato said grimly.

"You two sure seem lively. Are you ready to order?" Sakura giggled.

"Just a coffee." Kakashi said with a halfhearted eye crinkle, which surprisingly, Sakura noticed.

She furrowed her brows to him and squinted her eyes in suspicion and then looked to Yamato who only replied with jasmine tea and a scone.

"Ok, then. I'll start on your order. Please wait a moment." she said cautiously and ran to the back with their orders.

Sakura didn't like that halfhearted eye crinkle on Kakashi's face. By now, she could tell when there was a change in his demeanor and a part of her didn't like it. Something about it felt off and too forced; almost as if he was hiding something from her. As she handed the order to her coworker in the back, she got a call from her manager telling her to clean up the table from the large group that had just left and she bolted from the back with a large, serving tray she normally used when collecting dirty dishes.

She fluttered by Kakashi and Yamato who seemed to be in a stare down with one another and quickly cleaned off the tables that were placed together, making a triple trip. Not only did they leave a hefty tip for her, but they ordered so much that Sakura was bound to get some praise from her manager later. On her fourth trip back to the group of tables, she only had two glasses left to remove as she wiped down the tables before moving them back. She felt proud of herself for today's work. Today had been a relatively busy day and she was the main waitress on the floor. She still had another two hours before her shift was over and Genma would be picking her up but she knew it was the 'final stretch' until Saki-chan arrived.

She heard the familiar ringing of the door opening and Sakura greeted the customer without looking away from the table she was wiping down.

"Welcome to the Cat's Eye Café. Please have a seat anywhere and I'll be with you in a moment kind customer." she beamed.

"Hnn?" a voice hummed suspiciously which sent chills down Sakura's spine.

'_Great. Another crappy customer.'_ she thought dryly.

Sakura quickly finished wiping down the rest of the tables and grabbed the two glasses with a bright smile on her face, when an unexpectedly familiar voice came up from behind her low and quiet.

"I found you." the voice said slyly and triumphantly.

Sakura turned quickly and dropped the two glasses onto the floor, staring at one of the last people she ever wanted to see.


	11. Don't

**Tuesday, December 4 3:00 pm**

"I found you." the voice said slyly and triumphantly.

Sakura turned quickly and dropped the two glasses onto the floor, staring at one of the last people she ever wanted to see. There was no doubt about it. This was the guy she stayed with upon arriving in this city.

Sakura's face paled, she broke out into a nervous sweat, her knees threatened to buckle beneath her, and she swallowed hard at the dry, nothingness in her throat. She couldn't breathe. She felt like she was suffocating. Standing before her was the simmered down version of her 'father' and life with him was just as bad, but bearable. If it wasn't for that woman with the long red hair, who kicked Sakura out, she probably would have stayed with him longer than she needed to.

Sakura wasn't aware of how quiet the café had become nor was she aware of the eyes that followed her and her newest customer. To her, the moment she saw his face, was the moment she became deaf and her senses began to dull out and shut down bit by bit. He looked at her face, stoic and uninterested, but she knew very well he hid a cynical smile beneath that hard, flat line of his lips.

Sakura was suddenly brought back to reality as her manager came to her side, apologizing to the customer for the wait and quietly scolded her to clean up the broken glass; handing her a box, a broom, and a dustpan in tow. Her 'customer', followed the manager to a table while she was left to pick up the pieces carefully and slowly, feeling the burning gaze that belonged to him, scorn and beat at her back. She wanted to leave; to go home and hide in the safety of her room where he couldn't find her. That was the best thing. But she couldn't. She had to finish her job. Her only bit of sanity left kept her from pouring chakra out and having Kakashi and Yamato pull the plug on her part-time job. But little did she know that the very men she thought of were completely staring.

Kakashi had raised his visible brow and cocked his head to the side slightly, observing Sakura's sudden tunnel-vision-like behavior. It was like she was brought back to square one, only this time, forcing a smile on her face and fighting through the uncomfortable feelings. Yamato, shifted his glance towards the young man who came too close to comfort for Sakura and furrowed his brows.

Yamato lightly tapped the table in front of Kakashi and whispered subtly.

"Isn't that one of your students? The Uchiha boy?" Yamato whispered in a dangerous tone.

Kakashi hummed softly and pulled out his book, watching Sakura and glanced at his one again off again student over the top of the pages. As uninterested as he normally looked, about and to anything, his scornful eyes seemed to be watching Sakura too well and Kakashi felt a sense of danger lingering from him. Just what was he planning and why was he so close to Sakura? Did they perhaps know one another? No, that couldn't have been it. But something told Kakashi that the man in question, found the prey he had been hunting for; tossing aside the bountiful game that literally threw themselves towards him.

Sakura, nervously and hastily, ran towards the back with the dustpan, broom, and box of broken glass; desperately trying to get away. She ran past her manager who questioned if she was alright and she didn't answer. She was scared shitless. She was hyperventilating and her body shook with thousands of tremors. She ran towards the restroom in the back, locking the door in tow, and slid to the floor with her back against the smooth wood of the door. Hugging her knees and burying her face, she rocked back and forth trying calm herself but it only made things worse as she hyperventilated. It made her dizzy and nauseous and the room began to spin and close in on her.

Desperately, she made her way towards the toilet and hurled everything she had eaten that day; feeling the acid mixture of dissolved and non dissolved food burning her throat and nostrils with each cough, gasp, and hurl. She had never felt so weak and small in such a long time and it was definitely a feeling she didn't appreciate.

What were the chances of an antisocial, sadistic ex, entering her café, hovering close behind, and whispering in her ears, "I found you"? It didn't make sense. He never meant anything he said to her and she knew it. She was using him for temporary shelter and he was using her for sex. It was a nightmare staying with him too. He was rough and greedy and demanded a lot from her sexually. As a simmered down version of her 'father' he didn't beat her. Instead he branded her three times, forced sex on her, and told her he was the only man that loved her and would ever love her. He would spout words like those over and over to keep her in his web of madness and she couldn't find it in herself to leave him because of that small hope that she had found someone who showed some sort of affection. It wasn't until a red haired woman kicked her out of his apartment, did she think that there was nothing good for her when it involved other people. But then one day she happened to meet Kakashi and everyone and she began to realize that everything she had gone through was not affection, or anything good in the matter. That now, where she lived, and who she associated with, were good for her.

After a few good moments of finishing her upchucks, she tried to reassure herself that today was merely a coincidence, that she didn't live with him anymore, that he wouldn't touch her again, and that he wouldn't brand her as his again. Then she forced the idea that she was safe where she lived and that he would never find her since her new home was in a residential area outside of the city with a lush forest surrounding the compound.

Sakura, deciding it was time to go back to work, rinsed out her mouth in the sink, and tried to get as much sour and bitter flavors out of her nose and throat, even it if meant sounding like a disgusting old man who coughed up loogies left and right.

Upon inspection in the mirror her hair was still in tact, but her face was ghostly and her eyes were puffy and red from the heaving and hurling. It wasn't a favorable image but she had a job she needed to do and put on her bravest face, and left her little safety box; ignoring the looks of question and concern from her manager and co-workers.

She confidently strutted towards her 'customer' and with a smile she bowed and gave him her deepest apologies.

"Doesn't matter. They're not my dishes you broke." he scoffed.

"Well if you do not need anything else then-"

"Oh no I need something." he said in a condescending tone.

Sakura's stomach dropped and somewhere, she had a feeling where this was leading but she pretended she had no clue. Quickly she pulled out a notepad and pen and looked to him with a half smile.

"What would you like?" she beamed.

"Answers. What time do you get off of work?" he whispered.

"I am sorry but I am unable to reveal that information."

"Then I'll wait." he insisted.

"I am sorry but I leave right when my shift is over."

"I think you can spare me five minutes." he grunted, and gave her a smirk.

"..N-No I can't. My ride expects me to leave right when-"

"Yo, waitress, I'm out of coffee and he's out of tea. I also want to order something extra if you don't mind." called Kakashi, waving his coffee cup in the air like an idiot and a famous eye crinkle.

"Sorry, dear customer, if you would like to order please call on me again. Until then, I must tend to the other customers." She said with relief and confidence.

She quickly turned on the balls of her feet and dashed across the floor to return to Kakashi and Yamato who gave her concern looks and raised eyebrows.

"Ok so a refill of coffee and a tea? What else would you like to order?"

"Just refills. You looked like you needed some rescuing from the big bad lion." Kakashi smiled.

"Sakura, are you ok?" Yamato asked quietly.

"Of course I am." she huffed quietly. "I really recommend the green tea cupcakes with the hazelnut frosting." she said loudly, in her usual cheerful tone.

Yamato turned his head back to his menu and sighed while Kakashi agreed to her suggestion, giving Sakura the 'ok' to head towards the back.

* * *

**Thursday December 13 11:43 am**

After the broken glass incident, Sakura had received a load of questions about her health from her co-workers, manager, as well as Kakashi and Yamato. She lied through her teeth saying she was just a little tired and left it at that; though Kakashi and Yamato didn't believe a word of it. The only thing they thought of, was that she had a panic attack at how close the young Uchiha had been to her.

But after that broken glass incident, Sakura failed to tell them that the 'customer' who caused her 'panic attack', kept returning to the café during her shifts. How he knew when her shift was, Sakura would never know, but it bothered her on all ends. He couldn't touch her as far as she knew but what if he asked her to come back? Sakura knew the answer was "no" to that but why was he always there when she was? She was thankful that no one put one and two together about them but there were a few female co-workers who began to grow jealous of her. Sakura didn't want to hog him as a customer. She really didn't. She always gave him to someone else but he would directly as for her to serve him. It was a pain in her ass and she had been getting a few scornful stares from fellow female citizens as well.

* * *

**Saturday December 15 9:45 am**

"You haven't told Kakashi anything have you?" Sakura asked suspiciously as she stared at Pakkun, who sat on the couch next to her while she surfed though the channels on the TV.

"Sakura, I already told you I wasn't going to say anything. But I could tell him for you if you want." Pakkun exhaled and rolled over to lay on his back.

"No. Don't. I'll figure something out…" she mumbled.

"Sakura, there's nothing wrong with asking for help. Besides, you don't even ask for much anyways. It'll be fine if you talk about it and ask."

Sakura didn't say anything as she took Pakkun's words into consideration. Pakkun knew of the scars on her back and troubles she faced at work. He was like her friend and she told him everything.

"Sakura, if things get bad I'm blabbing you got that?" he said gruffly.

"Yes, yes, thank you for your consideration. If it-"

Sakura was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing and a loud banging coming from the front door. She looked to Pakkun and said she would continue the talk later as she lazily made her way through the living room and to the front door. Upon opening it, she saw a cheerful Naruto smiling ever so brightly and some sort of SUV type vehicle in the driveway with the trunk wide open. She could see the feet of someone removing things from the trunk and thought of Shikamaru hearing the words 'troublesome' being muttered from underneath the person's breath.

"Sakura-chan!" he beamed and hugged onto her for dear life.

Sakura didn't mind Naruto's form of affection. Though it was a little annoying at times, she didn't mind it too much. It was somewhat comforting. Though she saw Naruto very rarely, something about him seemed brotherly, and it felt like she had always known him. He posed no threat to her since he seemed nothing but stupid, loyal, and earnest. She had to admit he was a very endearing young man.

Sakura remembered when Naruto first witnessed her transformation and laughed inwardly at the thought. Naruto, like many of the people who knew her, gaped at the generous amount of physical contact and the normal form of speech she allowed. And when she smiled to him, it was like he was kicked in the face. The last time he had a good look at her face, she was fighting to get out his grasp with terror plagued across her face.

"Where is Kakashi and those guys?" He asked, breaking her out of her little remembrance.

"In the back yard. They started without you." Sakura said quickly and laughed.

"What!? No fair! I even came early! Those guys are-" he started, but was cut of by shouting, coming from the person Sakura thought was Shikamaru.

"Hey loser, you said there was a bag of scrolls. I don't see it." the voice called.

That voice. Now that it was loud and well enunciate,d Sakura knew this wasn't Shikamaru. But the demon that constantly showed up at her work. Sakura's stomach dropped and her face paled. Why? Why of all places and people? This wasn't right. This was stalking. Sakura's stomach dropped even farther, threatening to fall out of her butt and her face soured a bit.

"It's under the hatch board with the first aid kit!" Naruto shouted back.

He turned his attention towards Sakura, who in turn, looked up to him with a pained expression.

"N-Naruto, I'm actually sick today so I'll leave you now. You know how to get to the backyard so...train hard today..." She said, trying to fake a smile.

Naruto looked concerned, but didn't argue back. Instead he listened and gave her a light nod while returning to the vehicle as Sakura closed the door slowly and immediately bolted from the door. She needed to hide. _He_ was one of the last people she wanted to see let alone be seen by. She stumbled her way up the steps and into her room, slamming the door in tow with a confused Pakkun who had secretly made his way onto her bed when she went to answer the door.

'_Of all people why him?'_ She thought, stomping her way to her bathroom.

"What's up?" Pakkun asked.

"_He's _here." Sakura hissed.

"No way! Sakura this is stalking. I'm telling Kakashi." He growled.

"You can't!" she blurted and began to tear.

"I can and will!"

"Pakkun he's going to use today as a coincidence since he came here with Naruto to train. He and Naruto are Kakashi's students. You said so yourself. Besides, Kakashi has known them longer. Who do you think he's going to believe?"

"Sakura, listen to me. I'm on your side. I never liked that Uchiha brat from the start and this is too much. Training or not he's terrorizing you and Kakashi will listen to me."

"We can't do anything until he actually does something. You will not say anything until things get out of hand."

"Things just did Sakura! He's one hell of a shinobi along with Naruto and everyone in this house. This is the easiest thing anyone with a shinobi background can be offered."

"Just watch him. That's all I ask. I'll find a way to tell Yamato and everyone tonight but please don't say anything. If I don't choose my words carefully everyone will get the wrong idea about me." she pleaded, roughly wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Sakura." Pakkun growled in a warning tone.

"I'll tell them tonight…so…like we discussed before…unless things get out of hand you have to stay quiet." she ordered.

* * *

After her argument with Pakkun and a visit from an overly concerned Yamato, who heard she wasn't feeling well, she lied and played it off as some sort of flu bug. As long as she didn't have leave her room until _he_ and Naruto left, she was fine with staying where she was. Yamato had visited her a few times bringing a fresh glass of water, as did Genma, while Kakashi occupied the two guests within the house. Naruto argued he wanted to see Sakura but Kakashi advised against it, saying she needed her rest.

Kakashi had been putting little pieces together at Sakura's sudden 'flu' and the appearance of his student, the same young man who Sakura seemed to break two glasses for. Things were definitely suspicious and Kakashi had to think there was a link between the two.

Meanwhile, Sakura, laid on her bed, feeling hot even though the nice cool breeze from her balcony filled the room. She just wanted to sleep and forget she ever saw _him_ again.

_'Maybe I should stop working at the cafe...'_ She thought sadly and groaned.

She just had to wait it out until he left. Then she could go downstairs and talk to Yamato or someone but her thoughts were interrupted when she sniffed a familiar aftershave wave past her nose. In an instant, her eyes bolted open and turned her attention towards the balcony, to see _him_ standing there. His hard, cold stare burned into her eyes and she felt sweat droplets drip along her back in fear.

"W-What are you doing here?" she croaked quietly.

"I should be asking you the same thing. I thought I sensed your presence hanging off of Naruto but I didn't think too much about it until he blabbed on about you."

Sakura maintained eye contact with him. If she looked away she felt that she would revert to her old, weak self and crumble in an instant, turning to her old obedient self.

"I came here with Naruto on a whim for a light sparing match. I didn't expect to sense you until I walked into the house after training. Seriously its like you rubbed yourself all over the place." he laughed with scorn.

"But what are you doing here? In my room?"

"Your room?" he asked, sounding a little intrigued. "You're not shacking up with anyone here?"

"I'm not." she quickly said.

The man of her past raised his eyebrows and smiled crookedly.

"You changed a lot. I feel like I don't really know you anymore." he smirked.

"You don't know me." she spat, feeling confident about the conversation. Kakashi and the rest were downstairs and she knew if something happened she could probably rely on them. Especially Pakkun.

"Hmm, you're right, I don't know you _Tsubaki_." He said, trying to be affectionate towards the name she had given him before.

"That's not my name." She hissed.

"I know. Apparently you're _Sakura_ now. Your name tag at the café says that and Naruto calls you that. Did you give me a fake name? Or did you perhaps change it to Sakura? Funny how you name yourself with flowers." he said smugly.

Anger boiled in the pit of her stomach and she clenched her teeth and glared at him.

"What are you doing here?" she gritted.

"That again? I thought I'd have a one on one talk with my girlfriend since she won't give me the time of day at her work." He said with a wry smile

"I'm not your girlfriend." she argued.

"I don't ever remember breaking up." he stated quickly.

"I was kicked out by Karin. _She's_ your girlfriend. Go and bother her."

The man frowned at her and instantaneously crossed the room, pinning her to the bed.

"I don't say the word 'love' in association with a woman ever. Do you doubt my feelings?"

"If you really loved me then you wouldn't have slept with another woman at the same time and let her do as she pleased by kicking me out and you certainty wouldn't have… marked me…" she grimaced.

He smiled cynically as Sakura phrased her last sentence carefully.

"Well aren't you confident." he said with enthusiasm. He leaned in close and licked the edge of her ear and exhaled huskily. "I like the new you. Now tell me, when you see _that_ mark, do you think of me? Do you remember how I touched you?"

Sakura swallowed hard in fear and tried to move her arms only to have him pin them down even harder. "I-I don't." she gasped quietly.

"Really? You're reaction says otherwise." he said, holding down the rumble of laughter in his chest. "Have you been lonely without me?" he said, and lightly nipped against her neck.

"S-stop it."

"Why? Because everyone is downstairs? I wonder, do they even know I branded you? I was your first after all. What kind of lies did you tell them? Do they think you're some sort of princess that needed rescuing?" he cooed.

Sakura felt weak, small, alone, and terrified. She couldn't muster the courage to scream but somehow she could muster the strength to reply to him. What was wrong with her? This is what Pakkun had warned her about. All she had to do was scream.

_'Scream. Shout. Yell. Anything! What are you doing?!'_ she yelled at herself.

"Tell me, _Sakura_, you don't really want whatever image you have right now to be ruined, do you?" he whispered sweetly into her ear.

He lifted himself to get a good look at her face and felt satisfied with what he saw. He liked the new version of his ex and couldn't get enough. Instead of laying there with a blank face and taking whatever tease or taunt he tossed her way, she was showing a lot of emotions now.

Sakura looked at him with fear, anger, hatred, and plead. She didn't know what he was going to do but he knew he was capable of what ever it was. Seeing the smirk upon his lips only said he was planning something and she couldn't stand the idea that he could ruin the life she had now. She looked at him eyes filled in defeat and let a tear escape the corner of her eyes.

"What do you want?" she asked, swallowing hard.

"Nothing really. I just wanted to mess with you. You look good." he said nonchalantly as he unpinned her and sat on the edge of her bed.

Sakura, blinked in shock. Just what the hell happened? A total personality switch. Sakura didn't know what to think. The fear and anger that still rumbled within her didn't want to sit and wait around while he did as he pleased. She just wanted to get the hell out of there. She shifted to side of her bed slowly, ready to make a break for the door, when he turned and grabbed her wrist, pulling her into a forceful, hungry kiss and pressed her down onto her bed, sliding his hands under her shirt and bra. He broke their kiss and began to fondle her breasts aggressively as he licked against her jaw line.

"You're breasts grew." He exhaled heavily. He looked at her with dangerous eyes and forced another kiss on her. Swirling his tongue against hers for dominance.

'_Rough and greedy as usual..'_ Sakura thought dryly.

Sakura needed to think fast. She couldn't allow this to happen. If she did, she was going to fall down a deep spiral of hell once more and she didn't want that. But what could she do? Her heart pounded against her chest and the room was slowly starting to spin again. She did the only thing she could do, she infused her fist with chakra and landed a heavy punch on his face, only to find he disappeared in a poof of smoke.

"A clone?" She gasped.

If that was a clone just now it meant that _he_ was probably still in the house, mocking her silently as he absorbed the scene that just happened. As if on instinct, she ran downstairs fixing her disheveled clothing and there he was, sitting on the couch, sipping from a bottle of water next to Naruto and Genma. The light bruises and scrapes that adorned their arms, shins, and cheeks said they got a decent amount of training done but that wasn't the problem Sakura worried about. She wondered why he was still in the house. Kakashi walked into the living room looking just as messy with his own bottle of water and caught sight of Sakura standing halfway down the stairs.

"Oh Sakura, did you need something? Just go back to sleep and-" Kakashi started but was cut off by an overly excited Naruto.

"Sakura! I'm glad to see you're up! I want you to meet my good friend Sasuke!" Naruto beamed.

Good friend? No way. That was impossible. Naruto? The energetic, idiot that had the kind and caring atmosphere to him? No. Why? Why was he friends with someone like that! The endearing boy she had a sibling feeling to was friends with that monster? Was Naruto secretly just as awful? Was his outside personality all a joke? Sakura suddenly felt like she couldn't trust the energetic young man.

Sakura was about to turn around and head back upstairs when Naruto ran to her side, dragging her by the hand and towards Sasuke. She couldn't think. She couldn't breathe. The shock that Sasuke was his good friend scared the crap out of her. The suspicion that Naruto was lying about himself to her also scared the crap out of her. Just when she thought she made a good friend, he was probably secretly working with Sasuke. She glanced around for anything to keep Sasuke's distance at bay and couldn't see any. The only things she saw were the weapon pouches and kunai pouches that still hung off of them. That's right. These guys were shinobi. She should be fine. She survived three months of being alone with Tsunade. Though its not like she trained in anything regarding fighting. She had good dodging maneuvers from trying to avoid pranks and attacks. From what she saw come her way from Tsunade, Sakura could probably duplicate it if she needed to and it seemed like that might be soon.

Her attention was suddenly caught off as Sasuke stood up and smirked subtly while Naruto wasn't paying attention.

"Oh you're that waitress." Was Sasuke's only remark as he stared into the eyes of the woman he forced a clone on. What was she going to do now? Was she going to pretend she didn't know him? Was she going to lunge at him? Would she run away or cower in fear? For the moment, she only stared at him with angry filled eyes and a heaving chest. He had to admit his clone did a good job at riling her up.

"Sakura don't fall for him! I know he's good looking but he's a complete-" Naruto groaned but immediately cut off by Sasuke's flirting mode.

"You have quite some beautiful hair now that I see you outside of work. So long and healthy." Sasuke said, as he gently touched and guided a good amount her hair to her shoulder. "Soft too."

Sakura glanced to the hand still playing with her hair and in a swift, fluid motion, she pulled a kunai from Naruto's pouch and sliced the chunk of hair he held off of her.

"Don't you dare touch me with those hands!" she screamed.

No one saw that coming. Everyone except Sasuke stopped to stare at Sakura's sudden outburst in utter shock. She had never shouted let alone screamed before and sensed a panic attack or a nervous breakdown.

"Sakura what are you-" Naruto shouted but was cut off when Sasuke put up a hand to stop him.

"Is there something wrong?" Sasuke smirked.

"Shut up! You think you can just play around and pull me along then you're wrong! I'm not the same person anymore you bastard!"

"I really have no idea what you're talking about. I heard you had some sort of flu, are you ok? Are you hallucinating or something?"

"Don't play stupid with me you fucker! Don't you _ever_, **_ever_** do that again you hear me? Next time you won't be so lucky and I'll beat you so hard that not even Tsunade herself could save you!" she screamed.

"I really don't know what you're talking about." he sighed sounding uninterested.

Sakura's face took on an expression of pure hatred and rage and balled her fists infusing chakra along the way. She was ready to strike him in the face but was caught by Kakashi pinning her arms wide open while his came from behind and locked over her shoulders. She swung her legs with infused feet hoping to get a decent kick on him but was caught by Yamato who appeared in a poof wearing a cooking apron. Genma had wedged himself between Sasuke and Sakura and Nartuo stared in shock while Sasuke stepped back and pretended to be, uninterested.

"You bastards! Let me go!" she shouted trying to squirm her way out of Kakashi and Yamato's grasp.

"Sakura stop!" Yamato shouted.

"I'm sure this is just as misunderstanding." Genma added with a calm yet raised voice.

"The bastard deserves whatever is going to come his way! You don't now him like I do!"

"Sakura you need to calm down. Naruto sorry but can you two leave? Sakura's a little _delicate_ at the moment." Genma ordered.

Naruto nodded his head and ushered Sasuke out of the house and looked to Sakura with a pained expression. He thought that she was fine but in his eyes, she wasn't. He only said a weak goodbye and left with the three older men pinning her and trying to calm her down. They wouldn't let her go no matter how much she thrashed and squirmed within their grasp, shouting and cursing every second. The moment they were sure Sasuke and Naruto were a good distance away they let her go only to have her scream in frustration and shout some more.

"Why did you do that! That bastard had it coming!" She screamed, coughing along the way as her voice became hoarse.

She turned to Genma and slapped him in the face. "You! How dare you say I'm _delicate_! I'm not crazy!"

"Sakura, I'm sure there's a misunderstanding." Yamato said, trying to calm Sakura.

"There is no misunderstanding! Do you have any idea who that is?"

"Yes We do. Now do _you_ have any idea who he is?" Kakashi asked.

Sakura was about to shout when she stopped herself. She only just learned of his last name a few moments ago and she clenched her teeth. They didn't know him like she did and she growled in frustration. Pakkun wasn't even around to defend her sanity. She looked to Kakashi with hatred and felt betrayed while he looked at her with concerned eyes. Kakashi didn't say it out loud, but he had a hunch something was going on but waited to hear what she had to say.

She stormed off into the kitchen where the light was bright, desperately and shakingly grabbing for a pair of scissors from the utility drawer. The three older men followed after her in worry and Genma had his cell phone ready to make a call to Tsunade as things were going to get out of hand soon.

Sakura looked at her reflection against the stainless steel fridge and motioned to cut more of her hair off when Kakashi pressed himself against her back and stopped her with a firm grasp on her wrist and a strong hand holding her head as far away from the scissors as possible.

"Sakura you need to stop this." Kakashi called. "What's bothering you?"

"You want to know so bad? I'll show you!"

Sakura dropped the scissors to the floor and pushed Kakashi off of her, walking to the sink as the three stood a good distance away. Sakura immediately began to strip herself of her shirt and jeans leaving them shocked at her sudden impulse. She draped the rest of what was her long hair over the front of her shoulder and turned around to show them the ugliest part of her body. Her back. She cracked away the little illusion Tsunade taught her and said nothing.

It was a sight to behold. The lines, creases, discoloration, lumps, bumps and more filled her back in strange patterns, depth, and direction. It was jaw drop worthy. What they saw was the back of a woman that could put the great Ibiki's scars to shame. Old slashes, gashes, burn marks and other wounds they couldn't put together lived upon her back with recent red streaks and scabs in long strokes along her back.

Kakashi was the first to say something, as he made his way towards Sakura slowly.

"Sakura, were you clawing at yourself?" He asked in a concerned tone.

"Do you see these two scars?" She cried, as she tried to reach and point to the exact location of two different scars. One looked circular and the other looked like a rounded line, though there wasn't a definite shape as it overlapped a few other scars. You really couldn't tell what they were.

"These! I've been branded by that damned Uchiha you seemed to want to protect! There's one more!"

She turned around and pointed to the right side of her pelvis, to the branding mark with the Uchiha family symbol that was very noticeable in the form of a scar and she glared at everyone in the room with tear-filled eyes.

No one said anything. They were all still in shock about the way her back looked like. This definitely had to be one of the many "messes" Tsunade had warned them about.

Yamato swallowed hard, not knowing what to say but tried to keep Sakura talking.

"Sakura…what-"

Sakura completely ignored Yamato and spoke on her own.

"The rest are left over from before that. The sins I accumulated every single day for being alive." She said angrily as she pulled her jeans back up and everyone got another fantastic view of her scarred back.

"Sakura being alive is not a sin." Genma consoled, feeling completely upset at what he was seeing and hearing.

"You don't know that! You had and still have a great life! You were never labeled a sin and you never sinned the way I have! I know because you shared a lot about yourself!" She coughed out. Her throat was over the boarder of sore but she didn't care. All the pain, the frustration, the fear, the anguish, and the despair she felt were pouring out of her.

She coughed a couple of times and the men could hear her sniffs and hics between each cough and explanation. She placed her hands on the counter and kept her back facing towards them. She couldn't show them her face. She felt so vulnerable and ugly.

"I shouldn't even be here let alone be alive for the sins I've committed but I'm here. I can't change that. And I want to live here. But I'm a sinner. I'm ugly. I'm branded. And most of all I'm not pure. Would you still let me stay here knowing my crimes?"

Yamato and Genma bit their tongues. They didn't know Sakura felt this awful about herself. The didn't know about the scars she hid so well physically let alone mentally and emotionally. The only one they knew who could have had an understanding of her feelings was Kakashi, who was already standing by Sakura.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around, bending slightly to see her face. He felt helpless but he felt so much anger well up within him. He looked at her tired face, puffy yet dazzling jade shaded eyes, and the messy state her hair was in.

"Don't _ever _say that. Living and continuing to live is not a sin nor is it a crime. You're not a sinner nor are you a sin. I don't see an impure person standing before me but a strong willed, intelligent woman with natural beauty beyond compare. Don't ever talk that way about yourself, _ever_. You are Sakura. A person. A friend. A comrade. And further more a member of this strange set up of a family." Kakashi lectured.

Genma and Yamato exhaled and nodded their heads. They couldn't have said it any better than Kakashi and felt relieved about how he was handling the situation. Never before had they witnessed him losing his cool over something but they understood this was a touchy subject of life and the meaning of one's existence. They knew Kakashi understood that more than anyone. If anyone could slap her into shape it was him.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hello! Sorry this is late. School is a bitch. I loved the messages and reviews I got saying it was her father haha. Sorry to have tricked you but we had to get Sasuke into the picture first for her growth haha. Hope you liked this chapter. Leave some reviews and let me know your thoughts lol.  
**

**Just a reminder, if you're interested in one piece fanficts with NamixSanji feel free to check out my other fanfiction Seasons.  
**

**I will be giving a shout out next chapter to all of you who have written reviews. It'll be a long list but you all deserve a shout out. If you didn't give me your reactions I wouldn't have been as motivated or have the right ideas flowing in my head to keep the story going well hahaha.  
**

**Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter.  
**

**Oh yea I might be adding another SakuraxKakashi fanfic. It'll be another modern day AU, no abilities lol. That's all I'm going to say hahaha. I don't even have a summary or solid body for the idea. Just check out my author notes for info on when I might be posting it up or check my profile haha.  
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**Love you all, thanks for reading an I hope you enjoy!  
**

**-Rusala  
**


	12. Move Forward

**Author's Note!**

**I'm sorry this is sooooo late! I had writer's block for a while and then ended up writing another SakuraxKakashi fanfic called Summer Days. Check it out if you're interested. School has been hectic too. I finally received my nursing license to be a nursing assistant and I'm still going to school to finish my LPN education.**

**Because everyone has supported me and reviewed this fanfiction, I would like to extend my thanks to you all. I know I had promised last chapter that I'd personally write all of your user names as a shout out thanks but I didn't realize there were too many of you **

**I'm very excited to start blooming things up here now that I've passed a hurdle of writer's block and I hope you stick around to read what I have to offer.  
**

**Again, I'm sorry for the long wait and delay and I hope you don't chopeth thy head off..eth lol I suck and classical literature XP  
**

**Enjoy  
**

**-Rusala**

* * *

**February 1 2:12 pm**

Sakura dropped herself onto the grass in the middle of the yard, panting beyond normal. Gasping, swallowing dry spit, gasping some more, and keeping her eyes shut tightly seemed the like best option at the moment. Five months had gone by after her impulsive decision to change everything. Her decision not to stay the weak young woman she had grown up to be, would be no more by the time she was done.

Letting the peak of the sun's heat burn at her skin, she pulled a tired arm over her eyes and continued to breathe as best as she could, though that didn't stop her lungs from burning with each deep breath she took.

"I take back what I said before." Kakashi mused as he sat beside her with his favorite book in hand.

Sakura didn't look at him let alone acknowledge him for the moment. She was too exhausted. Too worn.

"You know…if you lay out here any longer you're going to get burnt."

Feeling her heavy pants coming to deep, inhales, she coughed to reset her breathing and spoke in a gruff manner.

"Sunburn is easy to heal. Its just a reddening and inflammation of the skin caused by ultraviolet rays."

"Interesting. Tell me more." he cooed.

"You're not really interested. Just fifteen minutes. That's all I ask."

"Ok, then fifteen minutes you shall be granted-" he said, flipping a page of his book. "-at the cost of adding additional sets to your regimen."

Sakura didn't say anything. She exhaled heavily and nodded as best as she could before jumping in surprise and the prickly, cold something that pressed against her neck. Turning to look around at what had touched her, she shot a glare to Kakashi who held a cold water bottle by the cap, swinging it back and forth while he continued to read his book.

"That's not funny." she mumbled and sat up to lean forward, stretching the kinks in her legs and her back.

"I thought it was very funny." he said, trying to sound as uninterested as he could but let the hint of mischief play at the edge of his voice.

"Oh yea, hilarious." she said sarcastically.

"Ah so you agree?" he said, sounding chipper and enthusiastic.

"Can't you be serious with me for once? Please?"

"But I'm always serious. I just seriously like to bother you."

Sakura rolled her eyes and groaned to the man she was forced to call 'sensei' whenever they trained. Taking the gesture of water from his hand Sakura took slow, deep gulps of the icy liquid and let out a content exhale.

"What were you talking about earlier? Something about taking back something?"

"If you don't know then I don't think I should say anything."

"That's not fair Kakashi."

"Sensei. That's Kakashi-_Sensei_ to you." he corrected.

Twitching her brow she smiled bitterly and corrected her form of speech.

"Ok, Kakashi-_Sensei_, could you please enlighten me on what you were talking about before."

"Much better." he said with a smile and continued to read his book.

Sakura sat there, wondering when he was going to speak and it seemed like forever had passed.

"Are you going to tell me what it is?" she asked curiously and impatiently.

"Hmm…nope." he sang and stood to his feet. "Also, you've had your fifteen minutes. Chase the bells." he said, and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Hearing her groan aloud, Kakashi couldn't help but smile as he hid amongst the lush greenery that adorned the back yard. He felt a little bad for torturing her with a hard task, but it was helping her out greatly. She had asked for the training and he wasn't going to go easy on her. Neither did Genma, nor Yamato, and especially not Tsunade. It was good for her. It taught her to be tough. It taught her not to take crap from anyone. It improved her character and provided the proper outlet she needed. But most of all, it made good use of the hidden potential she held.

Potential. The word echoed through Kakashi's ears and bounced back and forth through his mind as he tried to listen to her movements, sniff for her scent, and dash to the next set of greenery as swiftly as he possibly could. Kakashi could clearly remember telling her before, very harshly, that potential could only get you so far. She had taken it as an insult at first, he knew it, no matter how much she tried to hide it, but she had turned that phrase around and used it as a motivator to keep her going, to keep pushing herself to her limits, breaking that limit bar each time and pushing for another limit. She was, impressive in his eyes. A mere five months and she had already been past the level of genin. Maybe almost ready to take on the path of a chunin. It was frightening in a way. She was a diamond in the rough that had begun to polish and shine herself. He couldn't see the end of her growth and had to wonder just how much she'd grow in another five months.

Hearing a few branches crackle nearby, Kakashi noted that he had to move.

'_She's a little too scary…besides Tsunade is teaching her things even I can't comprehend.'_ he thought and disappeared.

Sakura soon arrived to the spot where Kakashi had just been. Her breathing had quieted and her eyes began to dilate, and slowly, she grabbed for a kunai from the pouch strapped to her thigh.

'_He was just here.'_ she thought as she noticed the crushed leaves that fell off of a perfectly healthy tree.

Listening to her surroundings and thinking about the topography of their backyard, Kakashi couldn't escape or go any further north due to private property. Any more west and he would be breaking into the residential area on the other side of the city. Her only two options left were east and south but even those were iffy choices. What was she missing? What was it she wasn't paying attention to? If she couldn't make a simple decision such as this, then her resolve to be a shinobi would have been for nothing. It was irritating. It was frustrating. She knew Kakashi was one of the best but no matter how difficult his lessons were, she felt like he was gong soft on her.

'_You chose this. Now think!'_ she chided to herself.

* * *

**5 months ago. **

The night was still young. Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose as he leaned his back into the island in the center of the kitchen. Genma said nothing as he poured himself some coffee and Yamato leaned onto the island with his elbows supporting his weight. Each in deep thought on what do to next.

Sakura had just revealed a big part of herself quite drastically and cried like there was no tomorrow. With supporting and reassuring words from Kakashi and the rest, Sakura had calmed down a great deal and became beat red with embarrassment, shame, hurt, reassurance, and frustration as Kakashi helped her put her shirt back on. Though it was a severe breakthrough for Sakura, no one knew how to deal with it. She revealed a lot, by showing her back and crying out her frustrations, but she revealed too little as she never explained why or how she came to that point; but everyone new better than to ask unless she was willing to explain.

"I'm going to bed…" Yamato said quietly, still lost in a world he was trying to comprehend.

Genma said nothing but nodded and Kakashi followed after, saying he should sleep too.

Through the house and halfway up the stairs, Kakashi stopped as his nose picked up a scent he knew. It was faint, but Kakashi had no doubt who it belonged to.

Hearing Kakashi's footsteps come to a stop, Yamato turned to look at Kakashi in a confused manner.

"What's up?" he asked.

Kakashi didn't respond as his nose wrinkled some more and bolted up the stairs and burst through Sakura's door. With a squeak of surprise and a jump from her seat at her desk, Sakura stared in shock at Kakashi's unusual behavior.

Yamato had quickly followed Kakashi and stood in the doorway wondering just what had caught Kakashi's attention.

"Kakashi, what are you doing?" Yamato asked.

Kakashi had stormed inside wrinkling his nose and walked towards the balcony. Opening and closing the glass door, he checked the hinges and the glass for any tampering and played with the handle to the door. He then checked the windows for any tampering as well and exhaled to himself and turned to look at Sakura, who continued to stare at him. His eyes then glanced around the room and noticed the blanket, pillow cases, and bed sheets had been strewn onto the floor in a messy little mound and he looked to Sakura once more. He didn't need to know the rest of the story Sakura didn't tell. He could already guess what happened the moment he caught a whiff of the Uchiha's scent, and saw the state of her sleeping area.

"You washed your sheets yesterday." Kakashi stated, soundly almost a little gruff.

Sakura didn't look at him. She felt too ashamed to. She didn't do anything that called for having her sheets washed but she felt as if they needed to. Being touched by her ex made her feel dirty and it made her sheets look dirty in her eyes. She wanted to rid any presence he had left behind and had planned to do so once everyone had fallen asleep.

"Kakashi, what are you-" Yamato started, but was cut off as Kakashi paid no attention to him and directed his conversation to Sakura.

"Sakura why didn't you tell us he was in here?"

Sakura averted her gaze to the floor and played with the hem of her shirt, pursing her lips to keep her silence. She couldn't say anything. She was too ashamed to. Kakashi had completed the puzzle as to why she snapped the way she did earlier today. He could only stare at her. Stare at the expression of shame and humiliation that plagued her soft, delicate features. He knew the answer was obvious, but he still had to ask. He needed to hear her answer. He was upset.

"Did he touch you?" he asked in a stern, quiet tone.

Bolting her attention towards Kakashi with eyes of panic, Kakashi who knew the answer was yes, had his assumptions confirmed and exhaled a long, heavy breath, trying to calm his blood form boiling any further. There was no denying the fact that he was pissed. In his own house, his student had seemingly used a simple technique to sneak around and invade Sakura's privacy and to try and defile her. But what also pissed him off was that he hadn't noticed a thing. If he had gone to check on Sakura, he would have noticed something off. No. Instead he stayed downstairs catching up on the 'good times' after their training session. How could he have been so blind? Nothing strange ever passed by without him noticing so why didn't he notice? Was it because it seemed _so_ not normal? Things never were normal when it concerned his students.

"Kakashi what are you talking about?" Yamato asked in a concerned manner.

"_He_ was in here." he replied quickly without looking away from Sakura. "Shinobi or not I'm pressing charges." he said authoritatively and tried to make his way out of her room, only to feel her grab onto the back of his shirt.

"D-Don't!" She croaked desperately.

Kakashi turned a stunned eye to her and watched her carefully. Her hands and her arms trembled, her gaze was shifted to his face but her eyes were filled with fear and desperation.

"Sakura…" he began, trying to sound as soothing as he could. "what he did was out of line. You have every right to press charges. I am your guardian so I'm going to do it for you."

"You can't!" she quickly added and tightened her grip on his shirt.

As much as she wanted to press charges, Sakura couldn't risk that. She wasn't from Konoha. Pressing charges meant involving the police. Involving the police meant performing a background search. And a background search meant a forceful return home from immigration. Tsunade may have been the Hokage, she may have made Sakura a citizen of Konoha, but like any city, illegal immigrants were deported to where they came from once the truth was revealed. The fact that Sakura was still underage when she left didn't help her either. She would have definitely been forced to return.

Exhaling a heavy breath, Kakashi gently pulled on Sakura's hands off of his shirt and guided her to the couch in the corner, slowly sitting beside her.

"Why don't you want to press charges?" he asked, sounding distant.

Sakura didn't answer. She played with her thumbs and stared at the floor unable to open her mouth. She still couldn't tell anyone about her past. Pressing charges would only complicate things and would force the truth out into the open.

Glancing to the door Sakura gave Yamato a nervous look and Yamato took the hint to walk away, closing the door behind him. There was no way Sakura was going to say anything with him around and he knew it. Especially not after her episode from earlier this evening.

"Sakura." Kakashi began sternly, and rested his elbows over his knees. "If you don't answer me, I'm going to go ahead and press charges."

Flinching at Kakashi's remark, Sakura continued to say nothing as they sat next to one another in close proximity. The silence filled the room and she could only blame herself for how things have gotten this way. If she didn't snap, if she didn't let that damn clone get the best of her, she wouldn't be in this predicament.

Kakashi continued to wait in silence as she began to fidget where she sat, biting her lower lip in deep concentration. She tried to open her mouth a few times to say something but found herself closing it quickly. The uneasiness that pulled at the pit of her stomach seemed to pull even harder and she began to purse her lips. How much more was she going to reveal before Kakashi or any else in the house found her repulsive?

"I'm going to report him." Kakashi stated, coming to his own conclusion without listening to Sakura, though it wasn't like she had said anything.

"Don't."

"Sakura…we're going in circles here…he could have hurt you. He could have done something worse than just invading your room and -." Kakashi chided as calmly as he could but couldn't finish his statement. He had come short of the sentence 'touching you' and felt his blood boil again. Why was it, that the thought of another man touching her upset him? Was it because he thought of her as a friend? As a frail young woman? Was there more meaning to it? Kakashi didn't but it just upset him.

"But he didn't. Lets just leave it alone…" she pleaded.

Kakashi was lost. First, Sakura was just about ready to kill the guy and now she was defending him? Kakashi couldn't understand where she was coming from until the thought of lingering feelings crossed his mind.

"Did you love him?" he asked, trying to sound uninterested. If she in fact loved Sasuke, of course she wouldn't be able to press charges against him. It would give him the opportunity to bother her as many times as he wanted.

Sakura, however, felt insulted he would even suggest that. This wasn't about love at all and she grew upset with herself that she couldn't find it in her to tell Kakashi her fears of being sent back.

"No!" she defended.

"Then why don't you want to press charges?"

"…I can't…" she said hesitantly.

"I can."

"No. You can't." she quickly spouted.

Rustling a hand through his silver hair, Kakashi exhaled roughly and turned to look at Sakura.

"Sakura, I don't understand why you're telling me I can't press charges. If you don't tell me, then I'll never know. This is a serious offense."

Sakura looked to him with frustration and searched his lone eye desperately. Why couldn't she say it? It wasn't hard. It was just a few sentences.

Seeing as though he wasn't getting anywhere with her Kakashi spoke up with another proposition.

"What do you want to do then?"

'What do you want to do then?' Those words rang through Sakura's ears as if there was nothing left to hear. What did she want to do? What could she do?

Kakashi's lone eye softened and looked away from Sakura. Standing up to walk away, Sakura grabbed onto his shirt again, deep in thought. Kakashi couldn't leave yet. Not until she said something. And all the while Sakura held onto his shirt, Kakashi said nothing as he stood there, waiting for her to say something.

The silence had been heavy and almost unbearable but Kakashi was more than willing to hear her out if she was going to say something, but she never did. Grabbing his shirt again told him she had something more to say and thought he should wait just a bit longer, that maybe she'll say something witty, or something profound and understanding. But she didn't. Instead she spoke serious, determined words that completely threw him off guard.

"I'll become stronger." she gritted through clenched teeth. "Strong enough that he wouldn't mess with me anymore…both mentally and physically…"

Kakashi turned to looked at Sakura and saw no more fear, no more hesitation, and no more disparity. Instead he saw determination, fire, and resolve light up her soft, delicate features. The glint of confidence twinkling in her eye said more than he could have imagined and understood right away where she was going, even if he had been against it from the beginning.

"If I become someone strong, he wouldn't mess with me anymore. If I become someone great he'll lose to me definitely. If I sit back and press charges, do nothing, and respond to his whim and spontaneous calculations, he'd be winning the sick little game he started with me. So I'll definitely enjoy this game for the long run and watch him lose to me in the end."

Kakashi nodded, taking her words in carefully. Was this what she really needed to create the resolve to jump into a life of danger? A life of possible regret? A scarring life to the soft-hearted?

"Sakura, are you absolutely sure about something like this?" Kakashi asked in a concerned tone.

Intensifying her gaze into Kakashi's, Sakura nodded and opened her mouth to be heard loud and clear. Ridding herself of any misleading dialogue.

"I'll become a medical ninja, a shinobi. I'll etch myself into the city of Konoha like a strong, proud citizen Tsunade and everyone had offered for me to be, and have him watch me from behind."

* * *

**Back to her training**

Sakura glanced around, still standing in the same spot. Time was ticking and if she couldn't at least find him or be near him by the time her session ended, warm ups tomorrow were going to be replaced with walking Pakkun and the rest of the pack. Not that she minded taking a light stroll with them, but she wanted to train. No, scratch that, she needed to. Walking with the pack would only put a dent into her plans.

Quickly slipping her kunai back into its pouch Sakura had thought of an interesting idea. If Kakashi had backtracked to the house, she would have passed him. If he had headed east, well Sakura couldn't remember what laid in wait in the east but something felt off. Though she couldn't sense his presence there was a weird atmosphere that had begun to build in the thicket. She tapped her foot on the ground and walked in a large circle as she inspected the little open area and then began to knock on some trees.

With the corners of her lips raising, Sakura had punched down a tree with a chakra infused fist and did the same to the tree that mirrored it, creating a parallel set up of two trees.

"Look underneath the underneath huh?" Sakura said with smirk and punched the ground beneath her.

Sure enough, just as the ground had begun to crumble, raise, and disperse, Kakashi was elevated and pinned between the two trees Sakura had punched down.

"I found you." she sang and walked over to him with a wide, eerie grin.

Trying to set himself loose with each squirm and wiggle, he could clearly see his loss coming and had really begun to fear Sakura. She was closing the distance and fast. Or maybe it had seemed fast as he couldn't move. Her simple steps had finally reached him and she bent over to meet his gaze, slowly reaching for the pouch of his flack jacket where he kept the bells.

"Looks like I win, _Sensei_." she giggled, but soon found herself jumping out of the way of what looked like a boulder that had come into view.

The boulder had miraculously collided against one of the tree trunks, giving Kakashi the leeway he needed to escape.

"Kakashi-Sensei!" whined a familiar voice that upset Sakura on all ends. There was only one guy she knew with that voice and he was nothing more than a traitor in her eyes.

Upon seeing the boisterous, blond come into distance, Sakura felt enraged. Not only was she looking at the young man who befriended the man she hated, she was looking at the young man who ruined her chance to move onto the next lesson.

"You idiot!" she shouted and swung an unexpected punch towards his face, knocking him off of his feet and into a tree.

"S-S-Sakura! What are you doing here?" he stammered in fear. Naruto couldn't believe what had just happened. Why was Sakura out here and why did she just punch him? Why hadn't he noticed her at all? Suddenly, memories of the night she snapped at Sasuke came flooding back and he wondered if she was having another episode. The last time he saw her was that unsettling night and he desperately took in her appearance. Her long, beautiful pink locks that rested upon the small of her back had now been cut short to neatly grazed over her shoulders, leaving her with a strong, confident appearance. Her creamy skin had been covered in dirt, sweat, bruises, and scrapes with a slight tinge of pink he assumed was sunburn. Her eyes were fierce and filled with rage as it glowed a brilliant jade and her stance looked as if she were ready the beat the crap out of him.

"You! I can't believe you!" she hollered and grunted loudly in irritation.

"Now, now, you almost had me. As a reward we can start the new installment of your training tomorrow." Kakashi said reassuring.

"Its not the same." she growled and turned to glare at Naruto.

Laughing nervously, Naruto had no idea what was happening and looked to Kakashi for assistance.

"D-Did I miss something?" he asked nervously.

"As if you don't know!" Sakura huffed and stomped her way back to the house leaving Kakashi and Naruto to talk amongst themselves as they made their way back to the house.

"Kakashi-Sensei, what the hell happened to you?" Naruto asked, taking in his ex-teacher's overall appearance.

Pulling a book out to keep him occupied as he walked with Naruto, he shrugged his shoulders and flashed him his infamous eye crinkle.

"Sakura happened. And why are you suddenly using 'sensei'? I'm not your teacher anymore I'm your equal."

"Say what?"

"I was training with Sakura today."

"Eh! Without me?" Naruto griped. "You're so mean! You could have…wait…is Sakura training to be a shinobi?" he asked excitedly.

Kakashi only hummed in response and Naruto began to jump with glee.

"I knew she had it in her! And judging by both of your appearances, it looks like she's doing well! Or maybe you're just getting old?" he sniggered.

"Naruto, I'm still in the prime of my youth. She's just that…scary…?" He thought, trying to find the right words to describe her. "Maybe noteworthy?"

Making a strange, duck puckered expression, Naruto lightly held his hand in front of his lips and began to "pfft."

"Hmm?" Kakashi hummed curiously. "What's that for?"

"The great Kakashi-Sensei is scared of a seventeen year old girl?" he chortled.

"Weren't you scared of her just a second ago? I don't think you have a right to make accusations." Kakashi suggested, clearly enjoying the frozen fear that plastered on Naruto's face as he remembered the punch. It wasn't even a chakra infused punch so anyone could grow frightened of it. That force, that impact, how did a slim, young woman like her hide her monstrous strength?

"In any case, you might want to stay away from her for a while."

"Huh? Why?"

"She's…how should I say…upset…"

"About me interrupting? I'll just apologize then."

Kakashi sighed and flipped through the next page of his beloved book. "No Naruto, I don't mean-"

"Yosh! I'm going to go an apologize! Meet you back at the house!" Naruto beamed and dashed off, without any real knowledge as to why Sakura was upset.

Kakashi found himself pocketing his book and chasing after Naruto in an attempt to stop him. The boy didn't know Sakura held complete animosity towards him. Kakashi didn't know at first until Sakura opened up about her feelings towards Naruto. It was a simple suggestion he made to have Naruto spar with her and she shot that suggestion down faster than lightning could strike. It didn't matter what Kakashi could have said to her, she was clearly never going to listen, even if he had tried to defend Naruto's honor. Having been through the things she has, any form of misunderstanding or betrayal meant she was more than willing to put it on the "x" list or the "hate" list. Words weren't going to help her in the least unless she saw some form of proof.

Just as Kakashi had caught up and reached the back yard he was a little too late. Sakura had instinctively thrown another punch Naruto's way as he tried to apologize.

"Sakura-chan I'm sorry for ruining your training session!" he wailed, catching her punch and causing the people from within the house to come out and observe.

"If you want we can team up and work together. I'm pretty strong so-"

"That'd be even worse." she spat and tossed another punch his way.

"What? Why are you so mad? I'm sorry! Do you hate me just because I messed up your training session?"

"That's just one reason."

Naruto had surprisingly lost is footing over a spar so ridiculously simple that it gave Sakura a massive advantage to give him a harmful blow. Raising her heel and ready to strike downwards, Sakura had stopped herself from going through with the kick and backed away before Kakashi jumped between them to intervene.

No one said anything. Instead they silently observed.

Sakura, with a pained expression, couldn't look at Naruto. Somewhere inside she still felt fond of the energetic idiot and couldn't go through with harming him no matter how much anger she held towards him. Just as long as she kept her distance from him, then it wouldn't have mattered if he was in the vicinity or not. Turning on the balls of her feet, Sakura walked into the house, passing by the familiar faces of Genma, Yamato, and interestingly, Shikamaru. She didn't acknowledge their presence and had not been phased by the slight bumping of her shoulder against someone. Instead she walked into the house with her mind on autopilot, ready to get away from Naruto, ready to enter the shower, ready to cook an early dinner, and ready to study before Tsunade arrived.

* * *

**5:13 pm**

Cooking for six people wasn't an issue for Sakura. It was easy. All you needed to do was add a little extra of this and a little extra of that. The only issue she had was allowing Naruto to hang around the kitchen while she cooked. If he wasn't in the way, he was just irritating. He'd sigh loudly, he'd stare, he'd groan and grunt to catch her attention, and from time to time he'd whine about how she was treating him. Silence was her best answer for the young blond, though beating him to a pulp and kicking him out would have been the easier, self satisfying choice. Or not? Sakura didn't know how to deal with him other than just keeping her aggravated silence but her patience was wearing thin. Especially now as Naruto had tried to impatiently steal samples of what she had been cooking; earning him a glare, a slap to his hands, or having some sort of instrument fly by his face causing the wind to lightly bounce against his cheek.

"Sakura-chan I'm sorry. I really didn't know you were training with Kakashi-sensei. I'm sorry I ruined your chance." Naruto said with plea.

"…" Sakura didn't say anything. She walked past Naruto to reach the stove of boiling water and tossed in the vegetables she had just cleaned, peeled, and cut.

"Sakura please say something." he begged.

Sakura looked to her left, looked him up and down with a glare, and huffed.

"Move." she ordered. "I need the salt and you're in the way."

Naruto blinked for a second and stood his ground. "No."

"Move, Naruto." she growled.

"Not until you tell me why you're mad at me." he bit back.

"Why do you even care? We've never seen each other often. This is like the eighth time I've seen you since we've met."

"You were counting?" he asked curiously with a hint of glee hidden at the edge of his voice.

"Naruto." she groaned. "Salt. Now."

"Just because we've only met eight times doesn't mean we're not friends. Of course I care." he argued.

Sighing heavily, he grabbed the salt for her and handed it over carefully, feeling the force of her hand pull the salt roughly from him.

Friends? Sakura had to mentally laugh at that. He sure was good at playing the innocent card wasn't he? No. That wasn't true. Sakura knew he was innocent from the start didn't she? It was all so confusing. Was he a friend? Or was he a foe? So many conflicting thoughts and emotions raged in and out of Sakura and she couldn't understand why she was so upset with Naruto anymore. No, that wasn't true either. She did understand. He was good friends with that bastard. There was no way someone as cruel and twisted as Sasuke could be good friends with someone who was seemingly genuine, earnest, and, well, stupid on some points, but very loyal and nice.

What was wrong with her? Couldn't she have given him the benefit of the doubt? Shouldn't she have given him the benefit of the doubt? Yes and no. Yes and no. Yes and no. It was frustrating and confusing. Could she even trust someone like Naruto? Kakashi and the rest seemed to but she couldn't. Or could she? Back and forth, round and round, Sakura was making no progress with what she was thinking. Sakura didn't know that as much as she had moved on as a person, there would always be room for a relapse of some sort. That it wasn't easy placing or misplacing your trust in people. Sakura didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to think.

Naruto had been apologizing to her profusely the moment they came back to the house. The images and memories of when she first met the young man came flowing back to her in an attempt to make sense of him, his personality, his over all being; desperately trying, desperately wanting to reconnect with him, desperately wanting to be the so called 'friend' he had called her. It was too hard for her. But it was too easy for her as well. And again her mind moved round and round in circles at the most painstakingly obvious answer but she couldn't find it in herself to forgive the issue he never created, but instead she created. Was it spite? Was it fear? Was it pride? Or was it just plain stubbornness holding her back?

"Sakura-chan, please tell me why you're so mad at me." he said, canceling her thoughts and leaving her an empty slate for communication and reconnection.

Was this really ok to tell him why she was upset? Would he still think of her as a friend? He said he was really good friends with Sasuke, so didn't that mean he'd chose him over her? No, in healthy relationships, even if she was Naruto's friend, it wasn't right having him choose between them. Sakura knew the outcome if she told him…or maybe she didn't. Naruto always had a way of being strangely affectionate even to people that irritated him so would she be alright telling him?

Deciding that her choice was now or never, she swallowed hard and had begun to speak.

"Naruto, the reason-"

Naruto's cell phone had completely cut Sakura off and Naruto was stupid enough to apologize to her and answer his phone.

"Sasuke not right now, I'm busy with something."

Sasuke? No. If there was a god, he or she really seemed to hate Sakura to the ends of the earth. This wasn't fair and it certainly wasn't helping her case with Naruto, especially hearing how chummy and cheerful he sounded as he was on the phone.

_'Naruto, you idiot…this is your answer isn't it?'_ she thought to herself, and felt hurt, and upset all over again.

"No, I'm meeting with Hinata and her family for an important dinner that night so let's make it next week." Naruto continued.

Turning the stove off and bringing the pot to the sink to drain the boiling water, Sakura bit her lip in concentration and in anger. Everything she had considered of being friends and going back to the way things were with Naruto were reaching the point of no return and she knew it. It hurt too much. Maybe someone like her wasn't worthy of making friends. Maybe she didn't deserve having bonds like most people were privileged to have.

"Ah Sakura-chan, sorry about that! I shouldn't have answered my phone and it was extremely rude! I'm so sorry! I turned it off and you now have my complete and undivided attention." he panicked.

Placing the pot onto the counter, Sakura shot him a hurt glare and felt like she wanted to punch him all over again.

"Naruto…"

"Yes?"

"Get out. I don't want to look at your face." she said quietly.

"Wh-What? Why? You still haven't told me why you're mad. Why did you suddenly change your mind?" he argued with concern.

"Naruto…just, get out." she said, voice shaking as she clenched her fist; letting tears form in her eyes out of hurt, anger, frustration, and confusion.

"No. Not until you tell me what's going on."

Naruto placed his hands onto her shoulders quickly and shook her slightly, catching her attention in shock. Why was he touching her? Was he going to hit her for being weak? For daring to show tears? No. This wasn't happening. She was strong. She was strong. Right? She wasn't in that environment anymore but it didn't stop her from wanting to run away, but the warmth in his hands and the worried expression on his face kept her from leaving.

"Sakura-chan, you're my friend. If I did anything to make you mad then tell me so I don't ruin our friendship."

Friend. Friendship. The foreign words rang in her ears and bounced against the walls of kitchen, threatening to carve out her ears.

Swallowing hard, she gently pushed his hands off of her and quietly spoke.

"It'd be better if I showed you…"

Yes. Show him. She couldn't tell him. She couldn't. She didn't have the strength to say any of it aloud. But she could show him instead. She wouldn't have to look at him if she showed him. She had no issue showing Kakashi, Genma, and Yamato, so Naruto was no different. If Naruto tried anything, Kakashi would intervene, wouldn't he? Sakura had placed much more faith in silver haired man so somehow she knew he'd come to her rescue if something went wrong and the same applied to Yamato and Genma. Though she couldn't understand why she preferred Kakashi more.

Turning around and slowly lifting her shirt with shaky, hesitant hands, she had just revealed her navel before Kakashi had entered the kitchen swiftly and pulled her shirt back down while Genma had just as secretly latched his hands over Naruto's eyes.

"Guess who." Genma said femininely and affectionately.

"Genma stop." Naruto laughed and tried to shake out of his grip.

"No can do. You guessed wrong." he said, and leaned in to lightly blow against Naruto's neck.

Feeling his skin scrawl and shudder massively, Naruto panicked and tried to get out Genma's grasp.

"Yuck! Genma I know its you! That's gross! Get off of me!"

"I don't know what you're talking about sexy." he said seductively.

"Don't! I have a girlfriend that I love and cherish! I'm not a bottom! You're not going to poke my ass! Get away from me!" he wailed, finally able to break from Genma's grasp and ran into the living room where the two most sane people he knew were.

Genma skipped along behind him shooting Kakashi the, 'you owe me' glare and proceeded to skip, calling out to Naruto affectionately. "Darling!"

"…"

"Sakura…"

Scooting a bit from Kakashi's hold on her shirt, Sakura's face heated in embarrassment. Was she just about to take her shirt off again? Why? Her guardians were one thing and Naruto was completely another. She was going to show Naruto right? She was going to show him because she couldn't tell him. But why? Why was she desperate to show him as well?

"Sakura, you need to stop taking your shirt off in front of men." he teased, trying to get her attention away from the stressful idea she had to prove something by taking off her shirt.

Sakura pursed her lips and looked at him questioningly.

"Kakashi…I…um…" She stammered, realizing how impulsive she was being.

"I thought you wanted to be a shinobi. Not an exhibitionist." he teased, trying to sound as if he were lecturing her.

Feeling her cheeks flush greatly, Sakura glared at him and slapped his arm causing a light thwack sound to reverberate through the kitchen.

"Ok, ok sorry, bad time for a bad joke." he said with his hands raised in defense.

Sakura said nothing as she averted her gaze to the floor and took in the new found silence, well, almost silence. The background noise of laughter and bickering faintly filled the kitchen and the light thumping of Sakura's heart echoed into her ears. The aroma of the pot roast had soaked itself into her clothes and her nostrils and was now conflicting with the minty, rainforest scent of Kakashi's body wash. The same body wash she found appealing the first day she moved here.

"I can't say it." she said quietly.

"But its worse taking off your shirt right? Sakura, you don't need to take it off to prove a point. Besides its obvious you're not comfortable with it."

Pressing her lips together, she looked to Kakashi in deep concentration, wondering how she could get her message across if she couldn't say it. Kakashi knew of the story but she couldn't ask him to tell Naruto for her. She couldn't. It wasn't the strong way of doing things. It was the weak, cowardly way of doing it. Besides, he had done so much for her, including the others, she couldn't ask something as burdening and selfish as this from him.

"You know…" he said, moving to lean against the counter. "Its not wrong to ask for help."

Looking to Kakashi with wide eyes, Sakura quietly listened to what he had to say.

"If you can't say it, you can write it down. Or, you can ask for help. Or both. By the way I think the pot roast is done." he sang, and wrinkled his nose.

* * *

**7:20 pm**

The silence was killing her. Sakura couldn't concentrate properly on the freshly dead piece of carcass on the her bedroom floor. The smell was increasing, the blood had begun to soak into the scroll it lied upon, and Sakura's stomach was in turmoil at the scent. But she had other things on her mind that kept her from hurling up dinner. Kakashi was probably filling Naruto in on the situation right about now and Sakura swallowed hard. In the end, she had gone the cowardly route, writing down on a piece of paper asking if Kakashi could do it for her. She was upset with herself. She thought she had been strong but wasn't.

Tsunade said nothing as she laid on Sakura's bed reading though a scroll she had given Sakura the week before. The scroll to prep her for the process of reviving failed organs. Fish were the simple targets to get Sakura started on, but she was advancing very nicely in Tsunade's eyes that she gave Sakura a whole pig to work on this time. Glancing towards Sakura, she smiled inwardly at the grimace that stained her face and the few sweat droplets the had begun to drip down her forehead. Deciding to make things interesting, a wicked grin plastered itself across Tsunade's lips.

"Ten more minutes and it'll be useless. If you can't get that pig up and breathing in ten minutes not only will the decaying smell increase, but I've rigged that scroll to induce a bloating and explosion effect on the pig. If you don't want your room to be covered in ornaments of the lovely innards then I suggest you focus more before your ten minutes are up."

Seeing Sakura flinch and twitch, and then push extreme focus onto the dead carcass brought joy to Tsunade. It was the perfect joke to get Sakura out of the slump she had just been in and it was the perfect joke to create a fictional, stressful situation. On the battlefield if there is a slight chance that you have time to stop and heal the injured, you better do it thinking you have a timed bomb strapped to yourself. It was one of the reasons Tsunade purposely had Sakura perform exercises like this her room. Without the stress and pressure to keep her room clean and keep the stench from staining anything in her room, Sakura wouldn't have been able to perform at her best. With this sort of conditioning, it kept Sakura at a constant, even pace each time they worked on these sort of exercises if and when they changed location.

Switching to lay on her stomach and swing her legs back and forth, Tsunade smiled and continued to read through the scroll she knew by heart, and quietly observed Sakura through half lidded eyes.

Sakura exhaled hard as she was getting tired but could see the finish line. She could take it easy now as she finished up the last, pumping and sewing to the pig with her chakra infused fingers.

"Shisshou…" she started and wiped her forehead with the sleeve of her shirt. Along the way of becoming a shinobi Sakura had to change the way she addressed Tsunade.

"Hmm?" she grunted.

"How is it possible that this pig lived this long? It should have died no longer after a year."

"Oh?" Tsunade asked with interest. Sakura was sharp but Tsunade wanted to know what she had caught onto. Five months of pounding as much information as she could to Sakura left her amazed at how much and how fast she absorbed it all. Sakura's room had begun to have little walk space with all the books and scrolls that adorned the floor. Though her little cheating method helped her out a great deal, Sakura just had the natural talent for it.

"Shisshou, ventricular septal defect is serious. He should have died long before ever coming into my room."

"Hmm? 'He' you say?"

Things had piqued Tsunade's interest even more. Normally, Sakura referred to the animal in question as just another animal or by its genus, never once giving it a personified feature like he or her.

"And what would you suggest we do for the patient?" she mused.

"If he was human I'd recommend a catheter-based closure to fill the space. Over a six month period the heart tissue would grow over the filling and naturally close itself. Of course under frequent monitoring and chakra therapy."

"And since he's not human?"

"…I can only save his life for now and watch after him until he passes, making him as comfortable as possible. This guy has a ten to fifteen year lifespan and he's four years short of the decade mark. I'm not validating that humans are more important than other species but if I extend his life for another four years, what would be the purpose? Its sad but…"

Sakura bit her lip as she had begun to close her 'patient' and Tsunade smiled warmly. The girl really did have a way of wording things and understood the weight of life and death in different situations. She was the best student she could have ever taken under wing and felt pride fill her up. She found a brilliantly shining diamond and wasn't going to let her go.

Just as Sakura had finished closing the animal that laid on the scroll, she removed her gloves and leaned her back into a mound of books, content with her work and lazily turned her gaze to Tsunade.

"Done."

"Well done. And with five minutes to spare. Your room doesn't smell too bad. Just air it out and use this." Tsunade said, as she tossed a little can towards Sakura, who clumsily caught it.

"Cherry scented air freshener? For cars?" she asked confusedly.

"Trust me, the cherry scent is so strong it rids the smell of death and decomposition faster than you can say-"

"SAKURA!" Naruto roared as he burst through the room, causing the now alive pig to startle from its slumber and convulse with a heart attack.

"My hard…work…" Sakura mumbled in shock. She couldn't save the pig now. She hadn't slept well the past two weeks and her chakra finally hit the exhaustion point. If it wasn't for her amazing control she would have burnt out in a week. Glancing sadly to the pig she looked down to the floor and felt a little upset.

"Sakura why didn't you tell me? This is unbelievable! That bastard! Sakura I swear I didn't know! I can't believe-"

"Naruto…"

Stopping his raged filled rant, Naruto looked down to Sakura and squatted before her, taking in her tired appearance and felt worried.

"Sakura are you ok? You don't look so good."

With a shaky fist, Sakura punched Naruto in the face and set him flying into the hallway.

"You idiot! Knock before entering places! You killed my patient! Do you have any idea how difficult it was repairing his failed organs?"

Sakura stood up and stomped into the hallway, grabbed Naruto by the collar and had begun to shake him senselessly as she lectured him on the importance of knocking, forgetting how tired she was and somehow finding the energy to move.

Tsunade had silently decided to relieve the pig from its misery when something stopped her as she touched its chest. She felt a rebound of Sakura's chakra surge through it giving the pig a final jolt of life, causing its convulsion to cease and fall back into a gentle slumber as if the heart attack hadn't happened.

"Well that's a technique that surprised me." she laughed and looked towards the young pinkette continuously slap Naruto's already swelling face. Things were definitely going to get interesting from here on out.


	13. Closer?

**Author's Note: hey guys I'm sorry this is late. I hate hiatus status but you know the drill, school is a pain in my butt. I hope you like this chapter, I'll try to make more updates since this month is the last for the semester of this year. I'm so excited! It means i can write and update more after november is over! yay!  
**

**Thanks for sticking with my fanfic. I love you guys and thanks for the support. I love you taking time out to read and/or review so thanks sooo much.  
**

**-Rusala  
**

* * *

**March 1 4:47 pm**

Kakashi, Yamato, and Genma weren't entirely sure of what they were looking at when they came home. Sakura had been laying on the floor in nothing but a tank top and some running shorts, with her arms and legs raised in the air, locking onto a shirtless Naruto and bending his back. He cried and begged for mercy but Sakura wouldn't let up. She kept trying to bend him and Kakashi could have sworn he heard a few cracks. Naruto cried out some more in pain and shouted for help upon seeing his friends.

"Help me!" Naruto wailed.

"Ok kiddies that's enough." Genma laughed.

"No! Leave him alone!" Sakura gritted.

"Whatever it is I'm sure Naruto's sorry." Yamato said with a nervous laugh and shuddered with the rest of the men as they heard a loud crack.

"He asked for it!" she gritted.

"Ok, well, seeing as though you might break his spine, I think you should call this a time out. I can't have you incapacitating a him. He's a little..._special_." Kakashi mused.

"I'm not breaking it, I'm fixing it."

"That's not what it looks like from here." Genma said in a slightly worried tone.

"Trust me... I'm... fixing...it..." she grunted and pulled on him again.

Naruto screeched in pain and his body fell limp onto Sakura's, knocking the air out of her lungs.

"Naruto." she called. "Naruto, I'm going to roll you now."

"Please… no more…" he whimpered against her chest.

Sakura's face turned a little sour as the young man exhaled against her which sent an odd sensation running against her skin. It was weird. Its not that she didn't approve of it or anything, she just thought it was weird.

"Move." she growled and rolled him off abruptly.

Sakura pressed him against the floor and straddled his butt, tying her hair into a small ponytail and then laced her fingers to crack them as they had begun to glow.

"Sakura, what _are _you doing?" Kakashi asked with curiosity hanging on the edge of his voice.

"I just said I was fixing it." she huffed in annoyance and closed her eyes as she brought her palms to his back, and had begun to press and crack at his spine again.

None of the men knew what she was fixing, but it definitely didn't sound like she was fixing anything. The cracks, the wincing, and the whimpering that had been coming from Naruto only made the three older men grimace with pale faces and decided to watch instead of ask questions.

Through the shudder worthy noises, Kakashi found his eye looking over to Sakura's choice of clothing and wandered from her forehead, to her exposed shoulders, down her slim, taut body, and down the well toned legs that held her up against Naruto as she performed whatever it was she was performing. It wasn't something he should have been looking at but he just couldn't find it in himself to look away. His eye traveled up to hear face and watched as she opened her eyes slowly and saw the shift of color in her them as she scanned the area of Naruto's back. It looked almost as if she were possessed with what she was doing.

Kakashi could have sworn her eyes flicked over to where he was standing but then again, its not like he had been feeling well the last couple of days. He could have just been imaging it.

"Naruto." she said gently, but sternly. "I'm going to crack it once more ok? Don't fight it or else you're going to complicate things."

"Is it going to hurt?"

"Pain is all in the mind. Tell yourself it doesn't hurt and relax as much as you can."

"Does that mean its going to hurt?" he gulped.

"I just said pain is all in the mind. Take a deep breath and once you exhale I'm going to crack it again. So on the count of three inhale as much as you can and exhale as slowly as you can."

"S-Sa-Sakura-chan I don't think this is a g-good idea, I mean-" Naruto stammered.

"One."

"No Sakura really-" he started, trying to get to her to stop.

"Two." she said warningly.

"Wait I'll-"

"Three!"

Naruto gave up immediately from his protests, inhaled as fast as he could, and felt Sakura press against his back in what felt almost deathly. He couldn't exhale slowly like she told him to. He let everything in his lungs escape his mouth in a large gasp and shouted as loud as he could.

"It hurts! It hurts! Stop!" he wailed.

"Struggle and you won't be able to walk anymore." she threatened.

With that remark, Naruto's body fell limp just Sakura had wanted it to be. She didn't care that his body grew limp in fear. Just as long as he was relaxed and not using any muscles, then it didn't matter. She just needed his whole back to be in a lax state.

"She sure is Tsunade's pupil." Yamato said to Kakashi, but only received an "hmm" in return.

What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he look away? He found his eye wandering over her, taking in every bit of detail that was Sakura. Her creamy skin, her delicate but very dangers hands, her soothing pink hair, her strawberry kissed lips, and her strange yet dazzling eyes that always seemed to change in shade or depth. There was no feeling behind it, he just looked. But even if he were just looking, there was no way he should have been looking at her this way. Thankfully, before his looking could get any worse, Sakura lifted herself off of Naruto and placed a pillow from the couch, under his cheek.

"Just sleep for now and don't move around. I'm not done so part two will be coming later. I suggest you cancel any plans you have today and just stay here until tomorrow."

Naruto whimpered as he slowly reached for the phone he had dropped onto the floor earlier, and had begun to press a series of buttons which Sakura could only assume that he was sending a text message.

"Oh come on, don't be like that. Part two and three is the best part."

"Says you." he pouted, and let a few tears fall from his eyes. "This hurts so much."

"Sometimes the best treatment is supposed to feel like the worst. Don't worry, part two includes a muscle relaxant and a deep tissue massage and part three is just stretching it out." she said with a soft smile and passed by the three older gentlemen and headed into the kitchen.

"Are you guys hungry? I can make something really quick if you want?" She asked and looked to Yamato, Genma, and then Kakashi expectantly.

Genma was the first to respond with a gleeful bounce and a stupid smile on his face. "Well if you don't mind. I'm fine with anything."

"Ok, fried rice it is. Unless you two want something else?" she asked, gesturing towards Kakashi and Yamato.

"I want ra~men!" Naruto called from the living room, though Sakura, and everyone else seemed to ignore him.

"Oh no, fried rice is fine. I'm just going to go and shower and I'll be down in a bit." Yamato said with a smile.

"I'm not really hungry so-" Kakashi started, but Sakura had cut him off.

"Kakashi, we both know you're trying to hide that wound on your back. You're not a dog, you can't lick it away." she said, and glided into the kitchen.

Genma sniggered at the reference Sakura had just made but said nothing, knowing if he made fun of Kakashi for being a dog, then he'd probably be best friends with a black eye or a healthy bruise for a while.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." he cooed. "And its Kakashi-sensei to you." he said a little louder to her.

"We're not training right now, are we?" she called back, letting some dishes and pans clank around.

Yamato had proceeded to move upstairs for a long awaited shower and Genma made his way to Naruto, who begged for his company across the way, while Kakashi cautiously made his way to the kitchen.

"Its just a scratch."

"Scratches don't cause fevers unless you have an allergic reaction or there was poison. You probably have an infection but I won't know unless I check." she called from where she was trying to reach up to one of the top cabinets for what Kakashi knew held plates; but raised a brow when he saw bowls.

"You switched the cabinets around?" he asked, a little curious but was more distracted as he saw her stand on her toes with one leg extended out, pointing her foot into no particular direction. He couldn't tear his eye away from her revealed shoulders and the lower part of her back that was picked up above her waist while she stretched. He was surprised at what he was looking at. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. She was using a genjutsu on herself and he hadn't noticed it. Maybe he really was sick if he didn't catch a simple trick like that. Did Genma or Yamato notice? It wasn't like you could miss something like a scar free back.

Kakashi shook his head and thought about the other pressing matter. How did she know? He was pretty sure he kept it a secret and remained cool, calm, and collected while he was around her. He made sure to keep the blood off of his clothes when she did the wash. It was literally scary on how much she could pick up from a person with just a glance.

A glance.

A glance! Kakashi knew he wasn't imagining things as Sakura was repositioning Naruto's back. She did, in fact, look his way, and he shuddered a little at the thought of how good her skills as a medic were. She diagnosed him from just looking at him? No that was impossible. The only person he knew with that skill was…oh. Now he was feeling a little stupid with himself. Maybe he was much too sick since he forgot he shared Sakura's training sessions with Tsunade. Besides, how could he have forgotten she had a habit of diagnosing things? The first night she came back from Tsunade's she pointed out the limp he hid so well. Not to mention last week she diagnosed the oatmeal for not having enough butter by just sniffing it.

"Don't change the subject." she said with a pout and turned to face him. "Let me see it later."

"Its fine don't worry about it."

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way." she said, as she cracked a few eggs into a bowl she had pulled from the cabinet.

"I prefer, no way."

"Easy or hard. Pick." she said flatly.

Sakura had begun to whisk away at the eggs, never looking away from Kakashi, who felt a little awkward under her stare. Kakashi? Feeling awkward? Especially at the gaze of a petite, pink haired teen? What was the world coming to? The great Kakashi never felt awkward under anyone's stare. Except for maybe that one time when Naruto and a group of young men were staring at him comparing their _sizes_. Though he had nothing to be shy of, and felt proud of his physique, it was just odd to have eight pairs of eyes stare you down at a particular part of what made you a man. It was even more odd having to console them in the shower room, still naked.

Shaking his head of inconsistent thoughts, his attention was brought back to the young pinkette who stared him down, waiting for an answer.

"Sakura, its fine."

"Hard way it is." she said with a glint of fire burning in her eyes.

"Sakura." Kakashi said warningly.

"Kakashi." she said, returning the same tone. "You know as much as I do that I can keep up with your pace now. I'll chase you if I have to."

"I was only going easy on you." he reminded her.

"Doesn't mean I can't try then. That is, _if_ you really were going easy on me."

"Really, you don't have to because there's _nothing_ to look at."

"I'll just call shisshou and have her drag you to the hospital then. Everyone knows you hate that place." she stated, clearly able to see an un-amused look on his face and a frown form under his mask.

"I'm just looking for a compromise." she said, trying to sound as if she were the best negotiator in the world.

"But there is nothing to compromise," he said, quickly ridding himself of his frown and flashing her his best eye crinkle. "because there's nothing to see."

"You sound like you're already hiding something."

"So, what was wrong with Naruto's back?" he sang, trying to change the topic.

"Stop trying to change the subject. Its not going to hurt."

"I don't know Sakura. Naruto wasn't wailing for nothing earlier. Even _if_ there was something wrong with me, I think I'm a little scared now."

"Its not going to hurt." she insisted, continuing to go about her preparations before officially cooking.

"I'm fine. Trust me." he said reassuringly.

"But _I'm_ a medic. _Trust me_." she said firmly, almost as if she were about to get angry that her skills were being put into question.

"Not yet. You're still a student until the Tsunade says something."

"Doesn't mean I don't know what I'm doing." she defended.

Kakashi raised his hands in defeat and heaved a heavy sigh. "Ok. You win. After we eat I'll let you take a look... If, you can catch me that is."

"What?"

"That's the deal."

* * *

**6:25 pm**

And a deal it was. A simple game of tag was in order. If Sakura could tap or touch Kakashi then he would keep his promise and let her take a look; though, Sakura didn't approve of this method just to check Kakashi's wound. The extra amount of sweat and moving around could obviously aggravate his injury but Sakura went along with it. She had been feeling lazy for the past month since her training with Kakashi had been canceled.

The beginning of last month marked the reason for why they were doing this. For the first two weeks, Kakashi had left for a mission and Genma and Yamato were nice enough to fill in for Kakashi, though they were too lenient with her and Sakura wound up feeling bored and lazy. When he came back the week after that, looking a bit disheveled but healthy it didn't take long for Sakura to notice the scent of blood, dirt, and sweat mixing into one another in a faint attempt to form an infection but she didn't say anything. She thought she was imaging things at first anyways since he had just gotten back from a mission. She decided not to bother him for training until he was well rested. And finally, the first few days of this week, she noticed his pale skin, the beads of sweat that would form against his forehead, and the light, labored breathing he tried to hide whenever he was around her. This was a month she didn't approve at all and Naruto's unexpected visit didn't help either. All he wanted to do was hang out and watch TV and oddly enough, Sakura let him, until he complained about back problems and asked her to fix it. But back to what was happening now, she had put on her black sandals and stretched herself appropriately before Kakashi, who seemed uninterested in her and read his book.

"Tag me and we'll call it a deal." he stated, never letting his eye leave the book.

"No genjutsu, no ninjutsu, and no taijutsu. Just a real, normal game of tag." she stated, knowing full well he would have tried to cheat his way around.

"Yes, yes, I promise." he hummed.

Sakura looked up to Kakashi from where she stretched and eyed the book in his hands.

"I've been wondering for a while now but why do you always read those books? Are they really good or something?" she asked curiously with a little sparkle in her eye.

She did love to read and was always looking for something to engage her mind in, whether it'd fictional or educational. Yamato had been kind enough to lend her the novels he owned and so had Genma; though his books were all brand new and covered in dust which only meant he bought them because he felt like it. And Naruto, well, he only owned manga and foreign comics but Sakura still appreciated the reading material.

Kakashi looked over the top of his book and saw the slight eagerness in the face that stared at his book. The books he read were a guilty pleasure he gladly immersed himself in, but he definitely couldn't let Sakura know of the contents.

"It's a very good series… In my opinion. Though I wouldn't recommend it to you." he said calmly and tucked the book into his flack jacket.

"Why not?" she asked and stood from her stretch.

"You wouldn't understand."

"So its in a different language?"

"No, its um… how should I put it… its-"

He didn't know how to put it. He loved the books to the end of the earth but he couldn't exactly tell Sakura about them. She was still underage. Granted she was mature for her age, he found it difficult to explain what it was, especially when he saw her curious face. With a shrug, and a why-the-hell-not feeling in his gut, he looked to her and gave her his best hidden smile.

"It holds a deep story of drama, comedy, angst, and romance... For _mature_ audiences only." he said, and ran to start the game.

* * *

**8:40 pm**

Sakura had no idea how long it had been since she had decided to chase after Kakashi. They started at around six thirty…or was it seven? For sure she killed about two hours by now but that didn't matter. Every time she got just a little closer he always escaped her tag by just a hairline and it irritated her; almost like he was making fun of her, saying that she couldn't catch him. She had to admit that for a sick, injured man, he was still able to get away at a fast pace, but then again he wasn't a jonin for nothing. Sakura frowned at the thought that the level of skill and stamina were still far too different but it only revved her determination to catch him. So she thought, and thought, and thought, and came up with something.

She caught up to him within a little dark clearing in the thick forest of their backyard and placed her hands on her knees, panting. It was unusual for her to be tired already but she was up against Kakashi at an accelerated pace that was, well, much more accelerated than their usual...accelerated pace. She was able to keep up with him before but now she found herself tiring and thinking to herself that he wasn't kidding when he said that he was going easy on her.

Kakashi stood there with hands in his pockets, hiding an amused smile beneath his mask as Sakura heaved for air.

"I'm impressed." he sang. "You an still keep up when most people fall behind."

"If your… making fun of me… shut up…." she gasped and tried to steady her breathing.

"I'm not making fun of you, I'm praising you. Genma and Yamato complain when I don't stick with them so good job."

Sakura didn't say anything, and though she heard his remark, she just couldn't process it. It went in one ear and out the other as she continued to level her breathing and stand up straight. She was tired, too tired. She hadn't eaten anything since those guys came home around six and she was already feeling the hunger pangs pulling on her stomach; and so her up-right posture slumped a bit.

Kakashi took this as a sign to come closer to her and joke around jumping close and then jumping back, jumping close, and then jumping to the side while she looked at him with irritation and a pout.

"Come now Sakura, you can't make a face like that. Just try to tag me. I'm right here within your grasp." he said, holding out a hand for her to touch.

"Its not the same if you play around and hand the tag over. Besides for all I know I've been chasing a clone around for three hours while you're at home reading in the comfort of your room."

"Oh! You got me!" he said, raising his hands in mock defeat and moved close enough so that she could tag him if she reached her arm out.

"Whatever." she huffed. "You better watch out when I get home or-"

Sakura stopped talking as her ears turned cold, her body shivered at an unusual sensation that played along her neck, and felt a cold sweat drip down her heated back. Something large and prickly had crawled down her shirt and she shivered and squealed at the sensation, jumping and trying to swipe away at what was on her.

"Sakura what are you doing?"

"Get it off!" she squealed and removed her shirt to swat away at a spider the size of a softball.

She shuddered and panted as she crushed it beneath her foot and rubbed her arms to try and comfort herself from the odd sensation against her skin; urging the goosebumps that formed to go back down as well.

"Sakura, it was just a spider. There are things like that everywhere." he said with a shrug.

"I've never seen any as big as that!" she croaked.

"Then we should head back. If we're seeing spiders this size then we already crossed into the Aburame's yard."

"Who?" Sakura asked, but found something fall onto her head and onto the ground around her.

More spiders the size of softballs had begun to rain down on her and Kakashi and Sakura squealed with disgust, hopping around them and jumping into Kakashi's arms for safety. At first Sakura's heart had been beating excessively from the amount of spiders around her, but it slowed and steadied itself as she jumped into his arms. But now she felt it quicken again at the faint scent of his body wash that was covered in a light coating of sweat, but oddly enough he still smelled really good. His body heat felt comforting and Sakura was so close to him she could hear his hypnotic, calm heart beat that could have lulled her to sleep if she wasn't in the current state of panic. Why was she reacting this way to him? Hormones? It had to be, but she didn't dislike the feeling of her heart beating this way.

Kakashi didn't think she would actually react this way around bugs and caught her instinctively. The disgust and terror on her face made him want to laugh almost, thinking that she was your typical girl, and carried her in him arms to an area that wasn't infested with spiders. The scent of her shampoo still clung to her hair and filled his nose with fresh, ever crisp, pomegranate mango and the skin of her legs felt smooth against his left arm while the variations of rough, smooth, and raised skin rubbed against his right arm which supported her back. It was, interesting, to say the least. Kakashi didn't dislike the feeling of her skin against his but he didn't like it either.

What made matters worse was the fact that she was still shirtless - almost shirtless, as her head remained looped through her tank top, letting it dangle around the side of her neck, giving him a good view of her slim waist and bra covered breasts he figured were enough to fill the palms of someone's hands. There it was again. His eyes shouldn't have wandered over her the way it did. There was still no feeling behind it but he shouldn't have looked let alone burn the image into his memory. She was seventeen for Hokage's sakes. He figured he was not only sick, but that it was that time of year his primal needs had him look at women in a sexual standpoint. Groaning inside at how useless he thought that need was, Kakashi looked forward and stopped walking, ready to put Sakura down.

"You need to stop taking off your shirt. What will everyone else think?" he said, with disapproval, but Sakura could hear the hint of joking hanging at the edge of his voice.

Though it never bothered her before, Sakura, for the first time, felt her cheeks heat in embarrassment about the state of her body being in perfect view for Kakashi. With her right arm, she folded it across her chest to cover whatever she could, while her other arm was slung around his neck.

"S-Shut up." she mumbled.

"Now that we're in the clear, put your shirt back on." he lectured and hunched over a bit to release her from his hold.

Just as Sakura should have let go of Kakashi, she didn't. Her arm was still slung around him and she grabbed onto the back of his flack jacket.

"Tag." she said quietly.

"Did you say something?" Kakashi asked, and turned to meet a face that was too close for comfort.

She had a triumphant smile on her face, and her grip on his jacket tightened.

"I said tag. I win Kakashi."

Sakura released the back of his flack jacket and laughed as she pulled her shirt around and slipped her arms through it. "So, do you want to meet in the living room? Or the kitchen?"

Kakashi stood there looking at her, dumfounded for a second. She clearly looked amused as she pulled her shirt down with a smile on her face.

"I can't believe you fell for something so easy!" she laughed and jumped in victory.

Kakashi was still a little clueless until it finally dawned on him that Sakura was indeed, not afraid of spiders. She used her disadvantage of not being able to fully keep up with his max speed that she chased him into the Aburame's property and played the damsel in distress card.

"That's a dirty way of playing."

"No, I played fair. I really am scared of bugs but you gotta do what you gotta do. I just used what you taught me and I quote "your mind is your greatest weapon."" she snorted.

Ah…he did teach her something like that. In order to be in this line of work you had to strengthen your greatest weapon; your mind. Your mind had the ability to run a muck if you didn't have the right training for certain scenarios let alone the control of chakra. It was not only your greatest weapon, but also your worst enemy if you didn't use it correctly. Kakashi had to give her props. Sakura really did know how to use her disadvantages as an advantaged and the scary idea was that she wasn't done learning. She grew and absorbed things as fast as he did, as fast as Shikamaru did, and probably as fast as Sasuke did. Though she still had a few more things to polish up on, she was a natural. A genius too...maybe.

"That didn't count."

"Yes it did! I tagged you!" she argued.

"No, I carried you."

"But I tagged you when I grabbed your jacket. Don't be a sore loser now. We're going home and I'm taking a look at your back while we're there. End of story." she huffed and had begun to walk away.

* * *

**9:15 pm**

Sakura and Kakashi sat in the kitchen on some stools against the island with a detached mask over his face and his bare back facing her. Along the curve of Kakashi's left shoulder blade, was a long gash with the depth of an inch into his back. The large area around it was red, the injury itself was slowly scaring but there was an obvious infection as it also held a slightly purple discoloration with pus forming, drying, and just being 'gooey' in a sense that it was halfway done trying to dry. With gloves on her hands she picked through her medical kit that she placed on top of the counter and frowned at the sight she was seeing.

"You're stupid." she mumbled, and pulled out some items from the kit and set them aside for easy grabs. She then pulled out a small jar filled with a type of orange gel from her kit.

"Now now, don't be like that. Sure I tried to run away when we came back but in my defense you had a needle in your hand." he joked.

"That's not why I'm calling you stupid."

"Oh?" he sounded amused.

"You would rather die of an infection than get help from the hospital. That's why you're stupid. This is the stage before it turns gangrene! You're lucky I'm here!" she huffed.

"But-"

"No buts" she hissed. "Do you have any idea how extensive this is Kakashi? I have to re-open it and flush it out."

"By re-open…you're not going to cut me are you?"

"There's no other way. The damage can't be healed with just chakra. I need to flush it out and apply some antibiotics that merge with chakra to help build up your B/Ts. "

"My what?"

"B-cells fight infection on the outside and t-cells fight infection on the inside." she mumbled and scooped a big chunk of orange gel with her fingers and lightly smeared it over the large, curved gash on his back.

Kakashi tensed as he felt the cold goop smear against him and sucked in air through his teeth at the pressure she was applying on his back. It hurt, it stung, it burned, he didn't want her touching it anymore but he didn't run from her.

"Don't make that noise. I'm barely touching you." she chided.

"I was just surprised. Warn me next time you touch it."

"I won't need to warn you because you won't feel it."

"What?"

"Numbing agent." she simply said.

"Ah…"

And then silence fell upon them as they waited a brief moment for the numbing to take into effect. Kakashi didn't know what to say and neither did Sakura. If they weren't training then he was bothering her in someway during a break. But that wasn't the case right now. They were just quiet. Normally there should have been some other form of conversation rolling right about now but there wasn't. They just weren't like that with one another. It wasn't uncomfortable, so there was no need to force a conversation, but it was odd at the same time. Maybe the silence was more of a respect issue between the two; that they didn't need to start a conversation because they knew it wasn't needed for what they were doing. Kakashi respected her enough to let her work with silence and Sakura respected him enough to not strike a conversation in lecture or pity. It was just, respect. Though it was an odd form of it, it was still respect none the less.

Kakashi pulled his book from where he had set it down on the island and continued to read where he left off while he felt the painless tugging and pushing against his back. It was obvious Sakura had been cutting and carving at him but as long as he couldn't feel it, then it didn't matter. He did however feel her lean her arms against him every so often for leverage as he guessed that she worked with her face up close to his wound.

Sakura continued to frown as she worked in silence, removing layer after layer of poor scaring, pus, and debris. The bandages Kakashi had used, stuck to him and left dried pieces along the affected area and Sakura exhaled through her nose irritably.

"You're so stupid." she muttered in annoyance.

Kakashi couldn't help the smile that formed from under his mask. Even when he wasn't saying anything, he was able to irritate her. And then Kakashi wondered why he liked to irritate her. Was it because she was so easy to upset now? Was it because she always reacted to him like an irritated sister? He didn't know the answer but just liked to bother her now.

"That's not something you say to a patient." he mused.

"You're not a patient." she grumbled.

"Oh really? Ok then I guess I'll go and-" he said, trying to stand up, until he felt her plant two firm hands on his shoulders to keep him in place.

"Don't move. I might cut something I shouldn't."

"You're not supposed to cut things you shouldn't be cutting. You're supposed to be a professional. If you cut something else can't I sue you?"

"That depends. This was a verbal agreement. Everyone knows you hate going to hospitals so resorting to me would probably be considered normal. You can't sue someone you willingly went to."

"But I didn't come to you willingly."

"Doesn't matter. You made a deal and you lost."

Sakura grabbed at a miniature basin and held it with her left hand up against his back and under his wound. She then held a syringe of a warm water mixture in her right and slowly began to flush out the contents of his wound.

Kakashi's nose wrinkled at the odd scent he couldn't recognize and felt a bit of apprehension pull at his stomach.

"What are you doing now?" he sang.

"I'm cleaning it."

"With?"

"Water."

"And?"

"And what?"

"It stinks."

"You're smelling yourself."

"Sakura I can smell something else in there."

"Its salt." she said in annoyance.

"That's not salt."

"Just shut up."

Kakashi began to bounce his foot against the bar on his stool as he continued to read.

"It stinks." he mumbled.

"You're smelling yourself."

"I do not stink."

"Kakashi, you do. I told you its infected. What you're smelling is the presence of anaerobic organisms and pus."

"Sakura I think I know-"

"No, you don't know. And another thing, I don't know how you've been taking care of this but I'm assuming you were too proud or lazy to ask someone and you used a clone."

Kakashi stopped reading and bouncing his foot at her accusation. She was right on the marker and was impressed, but also felt a little invaded she knew that much. Why was he letting some seventeen year old get to him? Better yet, why was he letter her get mad at him? Why was he letting her make him feel uncomfortable? And lastly, why was he letter her take control of the conversation?

"And if I was?" he asked curiously, though he sounded more like a child saying, "so?"

"This isn't the battlefield Kakashi. You're _not_ in the wilderness. The moment you set foot into those gates is the moment you are no longer in the wilderness."

Another moment of silence passed and he could feel Sakura pressing and patting against his back.

"Do you mind if I ask something?"

"…That depends…" she said a little hesitantly, and grabbed for a set of medical forceps. "What's the topic."

"Why you came to Konoha."

Sakura stopped what she was doing and felt her hands go clammy from under her gloves. Why was he asking this so suddenly? He never bothered to ask her before. Sakura felt a little trapped for a second before she swallowed hard and continued to work on Kakashi's wound.

"What about it?" she said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"How did you get here?"

Sakura pursed her lips and thought about that too. How did she get to the city again? Those days seemed to be a blur when she thought back, but it wasn't like she couldn't recall it either.

"I snuck in."

"Hmm, you really are a criminal."

Sakura stopped what she was doing again and for the first time in a while, fear had begun to chill her bones and stun her facial features. Her brows furrowed but found them raising in relief when Kakashi spoke again.

"Sorry, bad joke at a bad time. But how did you sneak in?"

"…I don't think I want to talk about it…"

"Sakura I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Could you please continue?"

Sakura felt her tense muscles release and sighed heavily.

"…I snuck in on a moving van… After I left…_that place_… I walked for days before coming to a small town with a diner. I figured, if I could hitch a ride somewhere, anywhere, then that would be fine, but I couldn't openly hitch hike. I knew I was still close to _that place_ and it seemed as if the universe was conspiring against me."

"How so?"

"There were patrol cars and road blocks set up. I didn't know if it was for me or just some random thing. Its not like I had ever really been outside. Everything I knew were from dictionaries, books, and no one was around, the television. So I stowed away in the back of a moving van and ended up here. When the doors in the back opened up, jumped out and ran… I didn't know where I was going but I just kept running. I felt that if I stopped, I would be sent back."

"I see…" he said, and nodded with understanding.

Sakura continued to work at his back, slowly pulling out remains of what looked like glass or metal from his open wound.

"Do you mind if I ask you something else?"

"…I guess not…" she mumbled. She minded. She minded a lot. But its not like they would use it against her. By now she knew who these people were, what they did, what their behaviors, patterns, and habits were, and that they wouldn't have taken her in and turned her life around if they were just going to throw her back into the hell hole. But what was this feeling of wanting to tell him? She minded that he was asking, but she felt like she only wanted to tell him.

"What happened after that?"

"After?"

"Yes after."

"Not before?"

"I won't ask anything you're not comfortable telling so I won't ask what happened before."

"…If I tell you, then I'd have to kill you…" she said, trying to make the mood lighter with a lame joke.

But it was just one statement from Kakashi that helped turn it into a light direction.

"Ok then. For your information, I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather... Not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car."

It was such a morbid joke. It was so wrong and messed up on so many levels but Sakura couldn't help the smile from forming on her lips. Then her smile soon turned into a wide grin and lit up her beautiful features. Her arm flew on top of her mouth to try to suppress a laugh but failed. She must have been really messed up if she thought that was funny. It could have been a joke or it could have been the truth but it didn't matter because she just couldn't stop laughing. Her laughter was contagious as Kakashi started to chuckle as well, and soon let it turn into hearty laugh.

"S-Sakura, shhhhhh." he said, trying to stifle his laughter.

"I-I can't…." she gasped.

"You're…you're going to wake up Naruto." he laughed, and pointed a finger into the direction of the living room.

Sakura tried to laugh as quietly as she could but it just wasn't happening.

"That was such a messed up joke. I shouldn't be laughing." she admitted, trying to catch her breath.

"You need to stop." he pressed, and pursed his lips as best as he could to stop himself.

After a few moments, their laughter had finally died down and Sakura continued to work on his back, letting the occasional giggle leave her lips.

"…after…" she giggled one last time, and sighed as her mood changed a little and she grew slightly quiet. "…to be honest, its really hazy. I was more concerned about hiding and surviving that I don't remember. I just remember that somewhere after being on my own for a month in the city, I met…I uh…I met…I don't want to say his name…"

"I understand."

"…so…I stayed with him for about two months before I was kicked out by another woman…and then I guess I was on my own for the next three months before you guys tried to harass me."

"We weren't going to harass you. We caught you stealing. We were thinking along the lines of turning you in to-"

"-the police" she continued for him.

"Well not quite. Anyone that uses chakra and commits a felony would be placed in a certain type of prison on the spot."

"I know...Tsunade told me about it when I was staying with her..."

Sakura felt grateful to how lucky she had gotten after hearing his statement. She could have been thrown into prison with weird or dangerous people but she wasn't. They gave her the extreme benefit of the doubt and took her in.

"…thank you…"

"Hmm?"

"…for not throwing me in prison…thank you…" she said quietly.

"You're welcome."

"I mean it...thank you.."

Sakura didn't know what else to say. She pulled out the last of the foreign objects from within his wound and disinfected it with a strong metallic smelling solution, feeling really grateful that prison wasn't her lifestyle now. She had been given a second chance and she was definitely going to give back as much as she could.

Sakura then squeezed a green colored cream that smelt of peppermint and had Kakashi focus some chakra on that particular area of his back while she eased and spread the cream evenly. The cream had then turned blue and Sakura took over the rest, generating her own chakra and turning the cream into a soft pink color and slowly, let the wound come to a close.

Upon finishing, Sakura slapped the shoulder she had just fixed, and Kakashi could feel the sting of the flesh on flesh slap.

"Ai!"

"Oh, just in time to feel it." she smiled.

"You knew the numbing was coming to a close didn't you?"

"Think of it as payback for being fussy." she sang and grabbed for some antibiotics in her kit. "Take it twice, everyday, for a week and your fever as well as the infection will be gone. I'll check it again in a few days to see if the skin if your shoulder is holding up."

Sakura removed her gloves and placed them in a little biohazard bag she had set aside which held other things such as used gauze and anything else that could have been disposed of. She then took the re-usable items and placed them into another biohazard bag for sterilization later. She then moved across the room and grabbed for a spray bottle of a ten percent bleach solution she made and had begun to wipe down the island, the stools, and the floor beneath the stools, carefully cleaning away at whatever bacteria she could have spread for the moment she was taking care of Kakashi.

Just as he was pulling his shirt over his head, Kakashi heard Sakura's stomach growl loudly in a way that sounded as if it were dying inside. He turned to look at Sakura but she said nothing as she continued to clean and wipe down the area they had just used and Kakashi frowned at the scent of bleach. It reminded him too much of a hospital but he had to admit, if he could be taken care of at his home each time he was fatally injured, he wouldn't try to escape as often as he normally did. In fact, he wouldn't try to escape at all.

And then Sakura's stomach growled again, clearing his thoughts completely to have him mindlessly focus on Sakura. She tucked a few locks of hair behind her ear and continued to wipe away at with the bleach diligently, and Kakashi spoke without thinking.

"How about a snack?" he suggested

"Hm? Uh, sure I'll make you something when I finish."

"No, I meant for you." He said, moving to the dish rack that held a frying pan and grabbing it effortlessly.

"No its ok, I can-"

"Sakura, I used to be the chef of the house before you took over. I'm pretty sure I can make,_." he said, leaving the space open for her to input what she wanted.

"No, really its ok, I can-"

"Its my way of saying thanks…for not killing me…yet." he joked lamely.

A small smile came to her lips as she thought about his previous joke and tried her best to pout but couldn't. Instead, she placed her order as she continued to clean up her kit and mess.

To be continued.


	14. Birthday Blunder pt1

**March 27 6:23 pm**

"Alright. We're done for today." Tsunade grunted and removed herself from Sakura's bed.

"Really?" Sakura asked with curiosity hanging at the edge of her voice.

"I have to be somewhere later." she said, and walked towards Sakura's desk where she had placed a shopping bag earlier.

"Ok. Then tomorrow can we go over-"

"We're not going over anything tomorrow." Tsunade cut off.

"Ok…then I'll just read-"

"You're not going to read anything tomorrow night either." Tsunade cut off again.

"Huh?"

"Sakura, tomorrow, everyone is taking you out to dinner." Tsunade said triumphantly.

"Why?" Sakura asked almost too quickly. The incredulous look on her face told Tsunade she didn't understand.

"Sakura what is tomorrow?"

"Thursday."

"Ok so what is the date?"

"March twenty eighth." She answered simply.

"And what is on March twenty eighth?"

Sakura was stumped. Was it a national holiday? Now that she thought about it, she never did study or learn about Konoha's holidays. She stayed at home, studied and trained. After that short amount of time working in that café, she never did leave the house. Not because she was scared to, but because she didn't see the point to do so. Her clothes were still fine so she didn't need to go shopping, anything that seemed _female_ related, Tsunade had brought with her and Sakura didn't need to ask. Genma, Yamato, or Kakashi always bought the groceries and restocked the house while they were out too. The only thing she would ever really trouble them for was a new bottle of shampoo, body wash, and conditioner and she would proceed to stay at home. If she went out more maybe she would have seen more advertisements for holidays. She didn't watch tv much either unless Naruto or Shikamaru visited - which was rare now - and felt like bumming around, so she wasn't aware of any holiday commercials or news casts for holidays either.

"Maybe I should check the news paper on what holiday it is." she confirmed to herself and looked to Tsunade eagerly.

"Sakura, its not a trick question and its not a holiday. Think. What is tomorrow? March twenty eighth?"

Sakura really had no clue as to what was supposed to happen tomorrow and spent a good five minutes thinking hard about it. Tsunade had been standing there tapping her foot in quick, impatient tacks that resonated from her heeled sandals. Her once patient expression turned tired and sour and she was about ready to explode; but taking a guess about Sakura's clueless reaction, she felt a little soft for her and decided to give her the answer.

"It's your birthday Sakura." she droned.

"Ooohh." Sakura cooed and flashed a curious look to Tsunade. "But why are you taking me out?"

"To celebrate."

"But I'm just turning eighteen tomorrow. We don't need to celebrate."

"Sakura, its because you're turning eighteen that we have to celebrate. Don't you remember what being eighteen entitles?"

Sakura pondered for a moment before her face lit up.

"I'll be a legal adult right?!"

"Yes!" Tsunade beamed. "And you'll be legal to go drinking!"

"Yeah! Wait, what?"

"Yes! Think about it! All of that delicious tasting liquor! And all off those mixed drinks! The beer! The whiskey! The sake! Everything!" Tsunade beamed with excitement.

The more Sakura thought about it, the more she remembered Tsunade loved her alcohol. When she stayed with the woman for those few months, alcohol was a must during lunch and dinner. It was also a must when she had nothing else to do in between. Though, for the time she had been training Sakura at Kakashi's home, she had been relatively well behaved to the point where no alcohol became the norm for Sakura to see.

"I don't think I'll be drinking anything." Sakura politely intoned.

"Nonsense! You have to drink at least once! Its your eighteenth birthday and I will not take 'no' for an answer."

Tsunade heard the chiming of bells coming from her phone and frowned as she looked upon it.

"I have to go." she said sourly but perked up a bit as she pointed to the shopping bag on Skaura's desk. "That's for you. Wear that tomorrow."

And just as soon as she was finished, she left without another word leaving a curious Sakura behind in her room.

* * *

**March 28 11:23 am**

"So how would you wrap up the details, and what sort of countermeasure would you suggest?" Kakashi asked, holding a clip board in one hand and a pen in another.

Sakura straightened her posture and thought for a second as her eyes flicked to Yamato, who leaned against the island she and Kakashi were sitting at, and back to Kakashi to answer.

"Due to the severity of the situation at the end of the struggle, I say its best to send another team out there for final observations with a member of the previous team. A new set of eyes will help determine if things are truly done and an old pair will help with the specific location and reenactments. I would also advise a border patrol for the next few weeks."

"Very good answer." he replied and scribbled against the clip board once more for that day before handing an evaluation sheet to Sakura.

"A full score? Really?" she asked in disbelief.

"You did very good." Yamato praised and stretched where he leaned before walking to the fridge.

"I agree but don't let it get to your head. There is still a lot of room for learning." Kakashi added.

Sakura nodded thoughtfully and looked to Kakashi with a hopeful face.

"Where do you think I stand as of now?" she chirped.

Kakashi raised a curious brow and cocked his head to the side and Yamato turned from the fridge with an equally curious expression.

Sakura could clearly note the curious looks on their faces and chirped again.

"My records say I'm an off limits shinobi right? I'm pretty sure on a legal and ranking standpoint, I'm a genin. But where do you think I stand?"

"Sakura, rank isn't everything." Yamato explained. "There are many talented people who remain genin."

"I know that. I just want to know where do _you_ guys think I stand?"

"At best I'd say you're ready to hit the chunin ranks. You're a little monster you know that?" Kakashi joked.

Sakura flashed him a pout at his monster comment but let him proceed.

"Your analytical skills and perception are impressive. Your combat is exceptional as well. Still a little rough around the edges but very exceptional for the limited amount of time we've spent with you. But, there's still room for growth don't forget that."

Sakura continued to listen to Kakashi with a thoughtful expression as Genma and Naruto burst into the kitchen with loud, bickering voices. They pushed and shoved at one another while ignoring everyone, and pressed straight towards the pantry in search of food. Sakura, from her peripheral vision, caught sight that the two looked completely disheveled and noticed the mud they dragged into the house as well. She flashed them a small, dark glare before returning to her thoughtful expression and pouted a bit as Kakashi seemed to be laughing silently of what he saw her do.

"Medicine…that's a whole different ball game and you would need to ask Tsunade about that. But I think you've done very well for your age and time span of training."

"Ok." she beamed and hopped off of her stool to smack Genma and Naruto over their heads.

"I told you before you started training to take your shoes off before coming inside! Its been raining all morning so the ground is muddy! I'm not cleaning that up!" she snipped.

"Don't worry we'll do it. Just as soon as we eat we'll-" Naruto laughed but soon found himself gulping at Sakura's murderous glare. "I mean…food can wait…right Genma?" he said nervously.

"What? No it can't wa-" Genma stopped himself fast as he saw Sakura's murderous glare grow more intense. "I uh…yeah food can wait."

The two quickly took off their shoes and ran to discard them and ran back to grab the cleaning supplies from under the sink.

"You two sure seem to be obedient." Kakashi mused.

"Want to join the ranks too?" Genma grumbled.

"No, I'm perfectly fine watching the two of you clean. You need to learn a new set of life skills anyways."

"Are you trying to say something?" Naruto huffed. "You're so cruel Kakashi. I can take care of myself thank you very much. Now Genma…_that's_ another story."

"Hah! What do you mean by being able to take care of yourself?! You can't even clean your room _and_ you still live with Jiraiya! You eat nothing but ramen because neither of you can cook! And I am not a _that, _I'm a _he._" Genma defended.

"Says the man who can't cook and gives a whole new meaning to food poisoning. And your room is just as disastrous!" Naruto argued.

"Kakashi…" Sakura muttered. "Look at what you did."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Kakashi said with feigned innocence.

"Ok that's enough." Yamato soothed, trying to be the peace keeper. "No one is perfect. Why don't we-"

Yamato couldn't finish his sentence. Naruto and Genma had thrown their dirty sponges at him in frustration, staining Yamato's shirt with dirty water and mud and splashed his face and hair with it as well.

"Don't patronize us!" Naruto and Genma yelled comically.

It was such a stupid sight to see. Sakura didn't know whether to conclude if they were all idiots or not. Just a few remarks were enough to get them to start a fight. Surely that was grounds to call them idiots. It made no sense and oddly enough, Yamato, the very cool, calm, soothing, and mature Yamato, sprung towards Naruto and Genma to put them each into a head lock with his arms.

"You guys…" Yamato gritted. "I just came out of the shower and that was my favorite shirt."

"Gah! Uncle! Uncle!" Naruto screeched through his head lock.

"Its just a shirt! Take it like a man!" Genma growled.

Sakura watched as they immaturely fought and snipped at one another while staying under Yamato's head lock. Kakashi too, watched the scene as he calmly sat on his stool against the kitchen island, cradling his chin in his hand and rested his elbows against the smooth marble counter top.

"Men are stupid." Sakura muttered.

"Indeed, but Genma and Naruto are just like that. You should know that by now." Kakashi shrugged. "Wait, take that back. Not all men are stupid. I most certainly am not."

"Says you." Sakura shrugged with a giggle.

"Kagebunshin no jutsu!" Naruto shouted, and the kitchen was filled with three other replicas of himself. His clones tackled Yamato and tried to get him to release his viper tight head lock but Yamato didn't give in. His grip only tightened and Genma yelped. Genma aimed the senbon from between his lips and spat it at a clone.

"What the hell Genma!" Naruto screeched.

"You clones are making it worse!" Genma argued and swung a foot to kick the boisterous young blond, though, instead of kicking Naruto's thigh, he managed to kick his weapon pouch and gulped at what rolled out. Four round grey balls quickly began to change in color for their countdown sequence.

"Impactors!" Genma shouted.

"Eh?" Naruto said with a dumbfound expression and glanced down before screaming. "EEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!"

"Idiots!" Yamato shouted and quickly let go of the two to run.

"That can't be good for the kitchen" Kakashi deadpanned.

Sakura's eyes widened and instinctively, ran out of the kitchen along with Kakashi. Genma and Naruto scrambled across the floor and ran out as fast as they could, but were blown out from the miniature explosion that seemed to occupy the kitchen. Genma and Naruto were then flung into the living room and broke the couch while Sakura and Kakashi had been standing by the main door with Yamato for safety. Smoke spewed from the kitchen with an orange glow and the smoke alarm pinged all throughout the house.

"The kitchen…" Sakura exhaled in disbelief.

Kakashi slumped his shoulders and sighed in aggravation.

"I make it a rule to avoid using my sharingan outside of battle or training… but we don't have a fire extinguisher…"

Kakashi lifted the black headband he had decided to wear for that day and opened his concealed, red eye. It was an eye that Sakura, no matter how many times she had seen it, couldn't get used to seeing. It reminded her too much of Sasuke and the moments he was especially upset with her, but at the same time, it was nice to look at and comforting in a strange way when ever Kakashi unveiled it. Sakura watched as he calmly made his way towards the kitchen's door frame and expertly performed a series of hand seals before a gush of water seemed to have sprung from his hand and wiped out the flames with precision.

'_As expected of Kakashi' _she thought and moved towards the kitchen's door frame to take in the damage that was done.

Sakura had nothing to say. She was stunned, shocked, empty, upset - she was everything. She had no idea how to process what had just become of the kitchen. Everything was charred. Whatever wasn't charred still held some familiar qualities of marble, or smooth floorboards, and tile, covered and smeared with water, ash, and debris.

"The kitchen…" Sakura said blankly. The scent of burnt paint filled her nose and left her coughing a little at the pungent odor.

"Well…this just confirms our plans earlier for eating out tonight." Kakashi sighed.

"The kitchen…" Sakura repeated and looked to Kakashi with an expression as blank as her tone.

"We'll survive without it."

"The…kitchen…" She said once more, and pulled on an incredulous look.

"Everyone's safe so lets just leave it at that."

That last remark from Kakashi snapped Sakura out of her odd spell and she was suddenly fuming.

"Oh no! Those idiots are most certainly not safe now!" she hissed and turned to eye Yamato, Naruto, and Genma. The look of panic and fear crossed their handsome features and they very obviously swallowed hard. To think three exceptional shinobi would fear a short, pink haired teen. One would laugh at that thought. But this was no laughing matter. Things were just about to get ugly.

* * *

**6:00 pm**

"You think Sakura wouldn't take forever to get ready like most women." Genma mumbled as he unbuttoned the top two buttons of his long sleeved dress shirt in front of the mirror downstairs.

"Says the man who hasn't left the mirror since he came down." Kakashi joked.

"Hey, it takes a lot of effort to look this good." Genma defended and twisted his senbon between his lips.

"Oh really? Then you must be one ugly mother-" Kakashi joked and dodged a fist that came his way.

"That was uncalled for." Genma growled.

"No, your fist was uncalled for. We don't want a repeat of what happened this morning now do we?" Kakashi lectured.

Genma swallowed hard and glanced towards the burnt kitchen and then back up stairs. The beating he and Naruto received was one he would never forget. Sakura was literally a miniature Tsunade, only she had a bit more compassion. She took the time to heal them back up only to beat them senseless again and heal them up once more. And there was no denying that even though she healed them, she purposely left them with sore bodies as punishment. Yamato was no exception.

After a wave of silence and impatient tapping of a leather shoe against the smooth, hard wood floor, Genma paced around the living room.

"Genma the food isn't going anywhere. Just sit down and wait." Kakashi said with disinterest.

"Why are we even going somewhere that requires decent dressing? You know I hate stuffy clothing." Genma whined.

"Oh? You don't know what today is? Genma, how could you?" Kakashi sang.

"What's today?"

"Not telling."

"Spill."

"Nope." Kakashi sang again and pulled his usual book out from his blazer.

Genma pulled at the insides of his brain and caught sight of Yamato coming downstairs in something just as equally dressed as he and Kakashi. Button down, long sleeve dress shirt, dark slacks or jeans and nice shoes. It wasn't under-dressed or over-dressed for where they were going tonight - a bar and grill type of restaurant that required you to look a little better than you normally would. It was obvious why Tsunade told them to pick that restaurant. Sakura was now legal to drink and anything to get booze meant Tsunade would certainly take advantage of that.

"Ok so we're taking her out to dinner. Big deal?"

"You do realize this is the first time we're taking her out at all right?" Yamato added in. "Shopping and work doesn't count."

"But a bar and grill isn't something to just toss her into. She's a simple girl and likes smaller, cozy places."

"So you're saying to take her somewhere like Ichiraku? Today of all days?" Kakashi mused.

"And like I asked you earlier, what is today?!" Genma growled.

"Not telling."

"Genma you don't know what today is?" Yamato asked with surprise.

"No I don't. What? Its not like its her birthday or anything right?"

Neither Kakashi nor Yamato said a word as they waited for their friend to suddenly have an epiphany. And there it was. The look of 'oh-shit' crossed his face as he eyed them with wide, bug-like eyes.

"You're messing with me." Genma said with suspicion.

"You're right, we are." Kakashi mused and flashed him a wide, hidden smile. "Right Yamato?"

"I don't know Kakashi. I don't think we are but then again, we are right?"

"You guys are evil!" Genma wailed and looked to his watch. "Sakura, we need to get going! We still need to report to Tsunade about the kitchen before we all head out! I'm sure whatever you're wearing is fine!" He called in a sweet tone.

"You have no tact at all do you?" Kakashi and Yamato said in unison.

"What? I'm sure she'll look fine in anything she wears." Genma said with a shrug. "Wait…does she even have something to wear to where we're going?"

All three of them pondered for a moment. Genma and Yamato had no clue if she did or didn't and looked to Kakashi for answers. Surely he was in charge of her clothing when they went shopping together.

"I don't remember grabbing her any dresses when we went shopping. Was I supposed to?"

"She is a girl- I mean woman. Even the biggest tomboys care for girly things sometimes." Genma pondered.

"That's true." Yamato added. "We really were just in charge of the essentials through Tsunade's money. A dress wouldn't really be called essential since we weren't taking her out…Hm… Somehow I feel a little guilty we didn't pick one out…"

All three men heard the light thumping of Sakura's feet against the hardwood floors and at the top of the stairs, they saw Sakura. Her hair had slight curls in them and gave her a more feminine appearance than normal. She wore a deep purple, short sleeved chiffon dress that flowed gracefully to her knees and a black, waist belt what gave her taut body gentle curves and showed off just how slim she really was. The ruffles of the dress across her bust line was modest and exemplified her chest a bit and she wore a simple, white bangle bracelet along her left hand. In her right hand, she carried a pair of short blacks heels that seemed lace around the ankles and a small clutch purse the same color as her dress. Her outfit was perfect for where they were going and looked very stunning. She did in fact, look to be in her early twenties just from a change in clothing and aura and she took any thoughts or words out of her guardians' mouths.

There was a bugging question at the back of their minds. Where did that outfit come from and how did she do her hair? As much as they knew, and from what they could see in her room, she didn't have anything like a hair straighter or iron curlers. She did have a blow dryer but that was just about it.

As Sakura made her way down the stairs, her dress fluttered gracefully against her legs and Kakashi noticed something interesting on her face.

"Makeup?" he asked curiously.

Sakura's cheeks heated a little as Yamato and Genma craned their necks forwards to look at her face with curious observation.

"I've never done something like this before. I made sure I followed the instructions precisely. Is it weird?"

"You look lovely." Yamato complimented.

"Thank you." she perked and opened her clutch purse to pull out a folded sheet of paper and proceeded to walk towards the couch.

"I'll be ready in a minute…or two…" she muttered sheepishly.

Her eyes panned over the paper frantically and slowly put her feet into the heels she had been holding.

"…lace accordingly to owners preference…" she mumbled.

"Sakura, what are you doing?" Kakashi hummed and leaned over the couch.

"They came with the dress and the makeup and I don't know what I'm doing here so I'm reading instructions." she answered bluntly while pointing to the heels.

"Have you ever worn heels before?"

"No…but they're not too high so it should be ok."

"Wait, your shoes came with instructions?" Genma asked with a little chuckle.

"Yeah. So did the makeup, the dress, and the curling irons."

Well that sure solved the mystery from earlier. Tsunade was the only one she could have gotten them from, but with instructions too? That certainly didn't seem like a Tsunade thing to do.

They watched as she quickly laced her heels around the buckled straps on her ankles and tied them into bows to give off the illusion that there were no straps on her ankles - instead, ribbons. Sakura perked from the couch and smoothed out the flows of her dress and was ready to go.

* * *

**6:30 pm**

As Sakura, Kakashi, Genma, and Yamato exited Genma's car from across the street, they made their way into the Hokage's tower, attracting looks and double takes from men and women who seemed to be working the night shift or seemed to be heading home. Some looks were nice, some were infatuated, some were grumpy or jealous, and some were curious. Sakura felt uncomfortable around the looks from the amount of people that were there and looked to Yamato for reassurance. She hadn't left the house in a long time and although she was comfortable around people, the looks were just something different. Even while working at the café, no one openly stared as they came in, ordered something, broke into a small conversation or not, and left. They mainly kept to themselves or their company. If they looked at you, it was only briefly to order or pay their bill.

Noticing Sakura's slight discomfort, Yamato gave her a reassuring smile and broke into a conversation as they headed down a long hallway.

"Do you know where we're going tonight?"

"It's a bar and grill kind of place right? I've passed by a few when I was on my own. Really loud and lively. Good food, well I'm assuming the food was good. A lot of easy targets." she said nonchalantly, though Yamato, Kakashi, and Genma could hear the slightly proud tone at the edge of her voice.

Yamato chuckled a bit and held a door open for Sakura as they proceeded to a set of black painted elevators.

Sakura eyed the elevators suspiciously and looked to Genma.

"Where are we going? This isn't the way to her office."

"She's not in there. She's in the B level's briefing hall."

"Just when I thought this building only went up…"

Genma pressed the down button five times and a keypad opened up just above his hand. He pressed a series six numbers and the elevator pinged, opening its doors lazily for everyone to enter. Sakura continued to eye the elevator suspiciously but entered just as Kakashi and Yamato did and noticed all the extra buttons that seemed to lead down.

"So secretive. Reminds me of an underground spy drama I saw a few years ago." she joked and watched as Genma pressed elevator buttons into the shape of a "B".

"You'll need to know where the briefing hall is anyways. Depending on the mission and how many groups are to be sent off, the briefing might be in there. Its not often that we use it since the hall is too large. We usually have mission briefings in her office in separate groups of two or three." Genma instructed.

"So she's down here giving a briefing for a mission right now?"

"It seems that way." Kakashi butted in.

"But isn't it bad that I know where it is? I'm not cleared at all so doesn't my presence complicate things?"

"In a lot of ways, yes." Kakashi shrugged.

"Then I could have waited outside in the car." she said quickly. "I don't want to ruin whatever chance I could have for being cleared."

That's right. Sakura worried about her chances of being cleared. Sunday was her interrogation and interview. She still had yet to come up with decent answers for probable questions she could face and she definitely couldn't afford to mess up before Sunday. Her face seemed a little troubled and Genma cleared his throat to knock her back into reality.

"Calm down pinky." Genma laughed. "I know for a fact that you'll be cleared."

Before Sakura could ask any other questions, the elevator bobbed and bounced as it reached a specific floor. She then stepped out in pace with her guardians. At the end of the hall, were double doors with small windows on them, and Tsunade was within a far view, reading through a handout to a large crowd.

"What the- the room is packed!" Genma grunted. "Don't tell me there's a service announcement she didn't include us in."

"It does sound like something she would do." Yamato agreed.

"Remember what happened last year? She didn't include us in the announcement about that flu outbreak she was researching and used us as guinea pigs." Genma huffed.

"Don't remind me." Yamato and Kakashi mumbled with sour expressions.

"Well, there's nothing we can do now. We'll just wait out here in the hall and-" Kakashi started, but was cut off as the doors abruptly opened.

"Perfect timing!" a familiar voice thundered.

Tsunade had a big smile on her face as she peered from the doors and marched over towards Sakura. Seeing her up close, everyone was literally shocked at what she was wearing. She was covered. Her sleeveless, black, pleated chiffon dress went as far up to her neck and cut off as far as the top of her knees. Her waist was accentuated with a thick, black laced ribbon that tied into a bow and her heels were as black as her dress, but very open. One had to wonder how the thin straps of her heels held her in place without snapping as she walked, but one had to really wonder how special she thought Sakura was for wearing a tasteful, bust covering dress. Her hair had been plainly left down from their usual pig tails and she simply wore red lipstick to tie in her look all together. It was modest, it was tasteful, and it was age appropriate, though no one knew exactly how old she was, and it was shocking. No one would dare to think that she had the temper of a monster let alone think she was a drunkard in this attire.

"Hmmm. I'm impressed. The dress fit you better than I expected! Come with me!" Tsunade thundered again and pulled Sakura by her wrist.

That loud, boisterous way of talking was the only thing reminding everyone that, this woman was in fact, Tsunade.

"Tsunade what are you-" Yamato began but was cut off by Tsunade's words.

"Public service announcement. Its fine, she can be there too. She's a citizen of Konoha. Its going public anyways."

"Shishou, I don't feel comfortable dressed like this in a room full of shinobi…I shouldn't even be down here." Sakura said with worry.

"Its fine! You're ok in my book so you're welcomed. Now pick up the pace." she ordered.

As Tsunade trudged inside with Sakura's wrist glued to her hand, Sakura could hear the whispers and murmurs as she walked into view and could feel the awkward pressure of eyes that followed her with each step she took. As Sakura thought Tsunade would let go of her wrist at this point, she was soon proven wrong as Tsunade pulled her up in front onto the little stage where she had been previously standing, and continued to go over the announcement from the printout she had been reading; and of course, with Sakura's wrist still locked between her fingers. Tsunade paid no mind to who was and who wasn't paying attention nor did she listen to the murmurs and whispers from the large crowd that Sakura assumed wasn't every shinobi that had belonged to Konoha. Hesitantly she glanced around and immediately felt the immense gaze of over eighty people pouring down onto her. The room was much larger than Sakura had guessed it was and felt almost faint. Men, women, masked people, all dressed for missions, work, or dressed casually as if they were called from home or on their way out - as a few groups seemed to be ready to do - continued to talk amongst themselves about Sakura's presence.

Sakura nervously looked back to see Kakashi, Yamato, and Genma, enter and stand along the side of the briefing hall with confused, incredulous looks on their faces and looked back to Tsunade who seemed bored as she finished the announcement. Something about vaccines? Sakura wasn't listening at all. Her thoughts were racing as she looked to the crowd once more and found comfort in a familiar, brotherly face with blond hair sitting next to a pretty, raven haired lady and Shikamaru. He waved ecstatically to her and seemed to have been explaining to the girl who Sakura was, and Sakura wondered if she was his girlfriend. She did recall him having one, but Naruto never really spoke about her so Sakura had to wonder if he had one or not. Just as Sakura had mellowed out and had gotten used to the unwanted attention, Tsuande handed her handout to a familiar face Sakura knew belonged to Shizune.

"Alright, now that we're done with that, I have a confession." Tsunade's uninterested demeanor seemed to have grown confident, perky, and serious, all in one package. The air around her seemed to have changed and the air around the crowd seemed to have changed as well.

Tsunade released Sakura's wrist and patted her shoulder gently and called Kakashi, Genma, and Yamato towards the stage. More whispers and murmurs filled the room as they carefully and awkwardly made their way to the stage. It didn't take a genius to figure out what Tsunade was about to do and for Sakura's well being Kakashi spoke under his breath.

"Tsunade, this isn't the time or the place."

She quickly waved her hand to swat him away but Genma persisted Kakashi's attempt.

"She hasn't been cleared yet." Genma insisted below his breath and into her ear.

Not giving them the time of day Tsunade placed a hand on Sakura's back and walked forward to move themselves from the men she had just called up.

"Tsunade don't." Yamato pressed but Tsunade held up a hand.

"This young woman has been living with us in secret. I, as well as these fine shinobi have been directly teaching her for quite some time. Today I am introducing her as one of you. She has come a long way and has a lot of talent. Many of you might disagree with the fact that we have kept her hidden, but she's special. Her medical skills are impressive and I would like to appoint her as a resident in my hospital as well as a field medic."

Everyone had gone silent and many eyes and heads darted towards a young blond female within the crowd and back to Tsunade and the pinkette. More whispers broke out and an uneasy air filled the room.

"There is a reason, I chose tonight to reveal her and I do not wish to wait any longer. In a month from today, we are holding the chunin exams. You all know what that entails. I would like to enlist her as a candidate for-"

"Just a minute Hokage-sama." Called a tanned man with a scared face and a large, imposing figure. He wore a long, dark trench cloak with a grey militia uniform and thick black boots that thumped across the floor with every step he took closer to the stage.

"This is the one I am to interrogate on Sunday, am I right?"

"That is true."

Sakura's eyes flicked to the large man and her heart felt like it could stop. The guy was huge in comparison to herself. He looked as if he could break anything he decided to touch.

"You have no right introducing her without a full clearance."

"I have every right as Hokage and she _will _be cleared." Tsunade said with confidence.

"On what basis do you speak so confidently?"

"A gamble." she said with a smirk.

"Forgive my impertinence but you're notorious for losing gambles."

"Not with this one. I see my winnings coming by the truck loads."

"This is an irresponsible decision."

"I have nothing to hide and I am not ashamed of my decision for gambling on her."

The man gave her a snide smile and turned to the crowd.

"As you know, Tsunade-sama has indeed, trained and taught this young woman along with the help of these three exceptional jonin. But she has yet to disclose that she illegally entered Konoha, became a thief, and took up residence within the city. Tsunade-sama forged documents and sealed them with her emblem, and this young woman has been added to Konoha without interview, medical examination, and proper documentation. Konoha is an equal opportunity city, and there is no need for secrecy. Why she has kept this a secret is beyond us, but even before accessing this young woman's reliance and worth, she had also been registered as a shinobi since the day Tsunade-sama picked her up from the street."

Sakura kept her cool as best as she could, though on the inside, her stomach had been continuously dropping since the beginning of Tsunade's "confession" and the large man's interruption. Her stomach was so close to doping out of her butt at this point. How did this man know she was a thief? It was obvious anyone in the interrogations unit could have known about her illegal residency but how did they know about her stealing? If they knew, didn't that put her in a bad position? Couldn't all the hard work she put into becoming an outstanding citizen of Konoha, all the hard work Tsunade Kakashi, and everyone else had put into helping her, go to waste if she were to be put under lock down?

Sakura's eyes panned over the man and his facial scars, and the large forehead protector that wrapped around his head like a bandana. He was a very intimidating man by presence alone. His remarks hurt but it was expected. The truth was bound to be found out one day but Sakura didn't expect it to be today. And the truth was bound to cause unwanted attention in both positive and negative ways. She had made the decision that it didn't matter if people thought about it negatively. She just needed to prove her sincerity, and show her worth. As long as she had Kakashi, Naruto, Genma, Yamato, and Tsunade to believe in her, or continue with the trust they had shown her up until now, then she was more than ready to take on the good and the bad that came her way.

"As expected of my interrogation unit. Precise and analytical. I don't know how you got a hold of that information but I will continue to say that I am not ashamed of what I have done and these three are here as witnesses. They will attest to her loyalty and reliability."

The room had been surprisingly quiet as everyone watched and listened to the man and Tsunade sneer and smirk at one another with continuous snide remarks. Many knew the man was being very disrespectful, but they also understood it was for the safety of the city. But everyone also knew that as sketchy and risky as Tsunade's decision had been, they could still trust in her decision to take an unknown woman under her wing. She had the balls to gamble on Naruto too many times and it always pulled through. So maybe this gamble would pull through too.

"Interrogations will proceed on Sunday. I'm sure you have nothing to hide, but I can't say the same for your _student_. If you're so keen on having witnesses, I think we should have some witnesses for her interrogation as well."

"Your witnesses already consist of the interrogation unit and the elders." Tsunade hissed.

"As Hokage, you have done something to cause turmoil and distrust. The elders still don't accept your decision and I want witnesses for proof, that we won't hide or withhold any information we extract." he said sternly.

"Ibiki, you don't need other witnesses. That's invasion of her privacy."

"Anything else seems suspicious. I'm only clearing the air for those who will have questions. I will be appointing five more witnesses from the crowd for Sunday."

"I say you won't." Tsunade bit back.

Sakura didn't know how much more of this she could take. Tsunade's leadership skills was being put into question and it was Sakura's fault. She was grateful for the amount of confidence and faith Tsunade had in her, but it was time to give back wasn't it? Sakura's instincts had begun to kick in and she calmly wedged herself between Tsunade and the tall man.

"What do you want?" He said gruffly, frowning towards her.

The whispers broke out again and Genma, Kakashi, and Yamato flashed uneasy glances to one another. Sakura wasn't about to start a fight with someone she had no chance of beating was she? She was good, there was no doubt about that, but she was still inexperienced. If she were to start a fight, not only would that ruin her chances to appeal to the interrogation unit, to the elders, and let alone, appeal to her possible comrades, but it would end up with her losing, coming out injured, and most definitely being locked away.

"I would appreciate it if you did not speak that way towards Tsunade-shishou." She spoke politely.

"You have no say in this."

"On the contrary I do." Sakura corrected. She knew she had to watch what she said as her bluffing instincts had kicked into high gear, giving her the confidence she needed to stand up to this man. "I did not ask to be taken in, but I was. Shishou, Kakashi, Genma, and Yamato, have given me a second chance from the sorry state I was in and showed me there was more to life than the hell hole I came from. Three more, who shall remain anonymous, showed me what it was like to have a friend and a comrade. You might disagree with her actions and she may have done something she should not have, but we will see on Sunday, if I am really such a threat you seem to imply that I am. I will accept your five witnesses, but let's make things interesting. If you want, you may have ten. I have no authority to pick your witnesses nor do I have the authority to pick your number of witnesses either, but I have nothing to hide."

"If you have nothing to hide, why do you have a genjutsu cast on yourself?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Sakura answered with a sweet smile.

Ibiki looked ready to grab Sakura as he tightened a fist he hung on the side of his body. Sakura knew she hit a button she shouldn't have and decided to continue from where she left off.

"I have bad skin on my back. I would insult this dress and I would insult the people I am having dinner with this evening if I didn't hide it. It is quite an eyesore and I strongly feel it would upset others this evening as well." she said with a smile.

There was something about that smile of Sakura's, that no matter how flattering it seemed, it looked as if she were threatening Ibiki with it and he seemed to have been losing to it in some way.

The murmurs in the room were a little louder than before and Sakura wasn't sure if she was doing the right thing or not. If this man asked her to remove her genjutsu, her back, which was very open in that dress she wore, would be visible for anyone if she turned around. No one knew her story but by Sunday fifteen or twenty people would know. She didn't know about confidentiality regulations, especially with witnesses, so one would assume many people would know. How did rumors work again? Surely it spread like wild fires and a military was no different when it came to rumors right? Sakura was at the ends of her confidence card within her strong front. It took all of her being to keep her knees from knocking against one another right about now.

Ibiki, towered over Sakura enough for her to crane her neck upwards. It was such an odd sight for anyone's view. Sakura looked as if she could be crushed any second as he continued to tower over her. But that wasn't the only odd part about the situation. Ibiki flashed her a dangerous smile that sent chills down everyone's spine.

"You have spunk. But that can only get you so far. You're nothing but a threat to this city until proven other wise. Seven witnesses. I'm feeling charitable so instead of ten, I shall drop it to seven. Be grateful little girl."

"My name is Sakura. Please remember that _Ibiki-san_."

The sound of Sakura saying his name with an intended sneer towards the end made him frown excessively.

"Don't say my name so familiarly. I could very much arrest you for concealed weaponry right here and now."

"Under what pretenses? You said so yourself that Konoha is an equal opportunity city. That means I am entitled to a weaponry search and a trial with impartial eyes. Not that you'll find anything on me."

Sakura had been speaking to this man so politely that every word she said smoothly with confidence seemed to insult and mock the man before her. But as cool, calm and collected as she seemed, Sakura was scared shitless. Anything could happen at this point and she was definitely making things worse. She should have just let Tsunade do all the talking but she couldn't do it. She felt like letting this man speak disrespectfully towards Tsunade was like letting this man harm someone she felt close to.

"You may be on the Hokage's good graces but don't think for a second I'll forget this moment. Cleared or not you're on my black list _Sakura_."

With that, Ibiki walked off stage and exited through the set of doors Sakura had entered through and the room remained quiet. Sakura had forgotten about the performance she had just put on, bowed, and apologized profusely to Tsunade.

"I'm sorry! I should have never undermined your authority and cut into a conversation you were handling easily. With all due respect I couldn't let him speak that way to you."

Tsunade placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder and smiled brightly.

"Don't worry about it. He's a fine example of a shinobi and cares about the well being of this city. Though he's normally a sour puss, he's still a good man. You're definitely my student if you can look him in the eyes and talk back knowing that anything you do can put yourself an in even worse position than what I had already done. Am I right everyone?" Tsunade laughed whole heartedly towards the large crowd.

The mood in the room, from beginning to end, had gone from unsure and curious, to rowdy and suspicious, to excited and fearful, and now, from calm to a, did-she-just-passively-aggressively-threaten-her-student type of mood.

Sakura laced her fingers together and looked around the room unsurely before bowing once more to everyone.

"I'm sorry that my presence has caused any turmoil or uncertainty. And I apologize for causing a disruption in your evening." Sakura said with genuine politeness.

Sakura didn't know how to read the mood at this point but Tsunade could already tell she had won a mass majority of appeal with that little bout against Ibiki. She had shown she had what it took to be a kunoich in terms of attitude and regardless of how fragile her situation is, she stood up for a comrade - the Hokage no less - and kept her ground. Tsunade was thoroughly impressed and could tell that the crowd was too.

* * *

**7:15pm**

"To Sakura! Happy eighteenth birthday! And may you be cleared on Sunday and grow as a fine shinobi!" Tsunade cheered at their table over the slightly loud music. She then quickly downed the shot of what looked like vodka.

"I can't believe you tossed her into the shark tank without warning." Genma lectured.

"She's fine. See? No harm done."

"That was irresponsible. You should have waited until Sunday or Monday or next week." Yamato added.

"I agree. Ibiki looked ready to punch her and mess her record over." Kakashi included.

"But she's fine! Right Sakura!? You were so confident! I knew there was a reason I wanted you as my student!"

"You make it sound like you decided to take her on as something to pass the time." Genma deadpanned.

"That is not true! I wanted her because she has the natural talent to heal!" she argued

"That was the only reason you took her in from the start!" Genma argued back.

"Sakura, listen. You are a young, beautiful, and an exceptional shinobi...unofficially. Cleared or not, you have the brains and the potential to succeed in anything. You've come a long way and I'm proud of you. I'm sure these three are too." Tsunade said as she pointed to them while still holding her shot glass in her hand. "You make no apologies, for how you chose to repair yourself."

"I don't know what to say…really…" she said awkwardly. She was appreciative to Tsunade's words, but this kind of attention was a little, embarrassing. She still wasn't over the fact that spoke up in front of a large, unfamiliar crowd and the uneasiness and embarrassment from that crept under her skin even more.

"Sakura, people become stronger because they have memories they can't forget. Bad memories stay with us forever therefore they make us stronger. That's how we grow as people and you have done well in doing so. So happy birthday and show me that confidence you had earlier. You left me with Goosebumps!"

"I um…I think I want dessert." Sakura politely stated, hoping to change the topic.

"You haven't even tried your drink! You can have dessert after you taste it! I'm sure you'll like it! If you don't touch it now, the flavoring will drop to the bottom of the glass and you'll be stuck with a bitter taste of melon all the way down."

Sakura eyed the short glass filled with a bright orange liquid before her, and carefully took the straw to give her drink a little stir before bringing it to her lips. This was her first alcoholic beverage and she was definitely not in the mood for it. But one drink wouldn't hurt right? She ate her dinner before Tsunade ordered her a "birthday beverage" so she concluded she would be fine. She took a sip, and smiled to Tsunade who nodded in acceptance.

"Ok! I'll go and bother the waiter for a dessert menu!"

Tsunade had gotten up from her seat and disappeared within the crowd of people that had filled the restaurant that evening. It was loud, it was lively, the food was impressive, and the atmosphere was a little heavy for Sakura. This was her first, official outing with Kakashi, Genma, and Yamato and that was a lot of pressure in itself. The ambiance of the restaurant seemed more like a place people went to for a fun night out and she didn't exactly feel too comfortable. What added onto her uneasiness was the fact that she had probably dug her own grave for Sunday. Why did she tell him to add more witnesses? Her past and interrogation were no one's business other than the people she knew, and the higher ups who were to decide her over all fate.

Sakura groaned and quickly finished her drink in hopes to forget but she knew better than that. She had read a medical journal that showed recent studies proved drinking actually increased one's memory. Groaning again she turned to Kakashi and gave him a desperate look.

"Drinking doesn't help someone forget…so can you just hit me over the back of my head a couple of times?" Sakura asked Kakashi.

"No." He answered with a smile.

"Why not?"

"Because that could kill you." he said with a chuckle.

"Sakura, you did good. There's no need to worry." Yamato said reassuringly.

"I caaaaaaaaann't!" she whined. "Do you have any idea how scared I was up there!? That guy was massive! I saw a weak point but the proximity was too close. It would have been bad and it would have been a really close call if he decided to hit me."

"You did well hiding your fear if you were able to talk to him like that." Genma interrupted. "Think of it this way, you stayed and held your ground until the end. You weren't like a dog that barked its way around and then ran away with its tail between its legs. You stayed, barked, and bit back."

"Why the sudden dog reference?" Kakashi and Sakura leered in unison.

"It was just an example." Genma defended.

"Excuse me." Piped a young female voice.

Everyone turned their gaze to the voice in question curiously and noticed a young brunette dressed in a serving outfit and held a tray full of colorful drinks.

"These are for you miss." she beamed.

"But I didn't order anything." Sakura said with surprise and a little worry. The last thing she wanted was to add to the dinner bill for things she didn't order.

"Its compliments of those gentlemen over there." The server said, as she turned and pointed to a group of men at a table.

Sakura looked and caught sight of the six men, who smiled and raised their glasses to her from afar. Two looked as if they were about to stand and come over but sat back down immediately. Something about them looked a little familiar but Sakura didn't know why. They had the type of faces that could be seen anywhere so maybe she saw them as customers before or maybe when she used to steal.

"I uh…I don't know what to say…" she said awkwardly. She looked to Kakashi for her next move. "What do I do with the drinks? Take them? Give them Tsunade?"

"Just politely accept it." Kakashi muttered low enough for only her to hear. "You don't have to drink them but just give a wave of thanks."

Sakura nodded to the server who placed six different drinks upon their table and noticed a slight wobble in her stance. Was she seeing things? The room was lit but the dimming of the main lights and the slight changes and flashing of another distorted the room a lot.

"Here you are." the server said with a smile.

"I'm sorry but could I bother you for a dessert menu?" Sakura asked politely.

"Sure thing."

And that was that. The girl left, Sakura politely waved to the men in thanks, she pretended to drink her drinks, though she did take small sips of each one, and chatted with Genma, Yamato, and Kakashi. It was nice. When was the last time she was able to have a calm, interesting conversation with the three of them at once? A while ago that's for sure. Someone always had a mission so the conversation was cut to one-on-one or two-on-one, and sometimes, one-on-none.

"Tsunade hasn't come back." Sakura proposed.

"How much do you want to bet she got caught up at the bar?" Genma joked.

"I think I'd take that bet." Yamato joked back.

"I say she's challenging someone to a drinking contest." Sakura added.

"Now I'll take that bet." Kakashi joked.

Genma and Yamato, although very sober, seemed a lot more relaxed and loose from how they were earlier. She knew they must have had a good tolerance to alcohol since they had age and experience against her, but Sakura couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Although a few drinks had a nice flavor to them, she didn't think she had the confidence or tolerance to finish another glass. What if a second glass was her limit? What if she threw it all up? A first time drinker should drink at home to figure out one's tolerance rather than putting them up in a crowded place to embarrass themselves.

That was a sad thought.

Sakura looked towards Kakashi and watched as he placed a beer bottle onto a coaster. He, was still the same, funny, irritating, mysterious, cool Kakashi regardless of the amount he drank. Sakura thought it was impressive and wondered if he was secretly an alcoholic. Two whiskeys and four beers. It was true they had been there for a while and two of his beers were consumed during dinner, but Sakura couldn't help but carefully watch over him. Maybe he had a high tolerance? All throughout her mind she thought of ways to transport him to the car in case he actually did become drunk. But then a thought came to her mind, how much is he able to drink? He was still the same after six different beverages, and Genma and Yamato still looked ok after four but they're behavior had changed to something more loose, so what about Kakashi? How many drinks did it take for him to become a little different? And then another question popped into her mind, why did she ponder about that? Maybe it was because she wanted to know what was under that mysterious aura he held. Wouldn't anyone? The guy wore a mask almost twenty-four-seven, and somehow avoided the view of others as he ate and drank. Maybe a drunk Kakashi would be a fun one. Maybe Sakura would get to see under his mask?

"What's under the mask?" she chirped as she looked to Kakashi.

'_Why did I just ask that?' _she groaned to herself. _'Are you drunk already? Mixing narrative with dialogue. You must be drunk.'_ She chided to herself.

Yamato and Genma had been in their own little world and seemed to have disappeared at some point so Sakura was left to hang out with Kakashi.

"My face." he said with an eye crinkle.

"Tsunade told me you're shy."

"And that is a lie."

"Then why do you hide it?"

"Because its fun."

"Why is it fun?"

"It just is."

"Why?"

"Why are you asking?"

"I asked first. You can't ask questions."

"And why not?"

"Its my birthday, that's why." she said with a sly smile.

"Oh? I never expected you to pull that card."

"I might as well use it before tomorrow." she sang.

"You never ordered your dessert." Kakashi pointed out..

"Don't change the subject."

"What? I'm just saying you never ordered dessert."

"The sever hasn't come back. Besides I changed my mind on it. Maybe later. What's under the mask?"

"You're not going to give up are you?"

"Of course not." she mused. "Show me."

"Nope."

"And why not?" Sakura said with a pout.

"Because I don't feel like it."

"But I want to see it."

"But only special people can see it."

"How special are we talking? There's romantically special, there's socially special, there's mentally special." Sakura quickly crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue.

"I think the alcohol is finally getting to you." he said with a chuckle.

"It is not." she huffed. "I just don't see why you should hide your face. On missions, I suppose I could understand. You wouldn't want to be recognized and have anything compromised. But at home, or shopping, its weird."

"Do you really want to see?" he said with feigned annoyance.

"What?"

"What's under the mask, do you want to see?"

Sakura bounced in her seat and moved closer to Kakashi. Her face was lit with an excited smile and her eyes twinkled in the light.

"Under this mask…" he said smoothly, and pinched the bridge of his nose where the fabric stretched.

"Yeah?" She mewed and moved in a little closer. Although there was still a good distance between them, Sakura's leg brushed against Kakashi's. Something about the contact made her heart beat fast with god knew what but it could have just been from the anticipation of seeing what was underneath Kakashi's mask.

"Is... ... ... ... another mask." he joked as he pulled down his mask to reveal a second mask.

Sakura pouted and slapped his arm.

"You're so weird! Who the hell wears two masks at once!?" she screeched.

"So violent. How are you going to continue your appeal if you beat up one of your guardians?" he teased.

Something about that sentence made the hair on Sakura's skin raise. Was it because she was finally an adult that referring to Kakashi as her guardian didn't seem right? Sakura leaned in a little more with her pout and poked his forehead with her finger.

"You're not my guardian anymore." she corrected.

Sakura was close. Too close. The scent of her cherry blossom body wash floated around her skin and the scent of her strawberry-mango shampoo radiated from her hair. Her jade colored eyes seemed to sparkle more and her cherry kissed lips glimmered against the light. He couldn't help but inhale deeply at her scent that seemed to mix in with the restaurant's surroundings. But there was something else he couldn't depict from her. There was another scent that lingered on her. It was sweet like the rest of her cleansing materials but it had an a type of zest to it. Kakashi couldn't figure it out but it was intoxicating. His primal instincts were on edge at her proximity and he had to do something. He placed a hand on her head and patted it playfully as he scooted away from her a bit. If he didn't do it, what would he have done if he stayed that way any longer?

'_What was that?'_ Kakashi thought.

Kakashi wasn't the only one stuck in a strange trance for that brief moment. Why she had to touch him, Sakura would never know. But something, anything, a finger to his forehead was just, unavoidable in a sense. His skin was surprisingly smooth beneath her finger and Sakura wanted to childishly trail her finger into his hair but didn't. She was locked and couldn't seem to look away from his lone, onyx gaze for that moment, and the scent of his usual body wash and shampoo made her nose wrinkle a little. Her thoughts were filled with how much she liked it. But it wasn't just his scent that kept her close to him. It was the fact that she couldn't move away. It was like she had to stay there or move closer. If Kakashi hadn't patted her head and knocked her senses back together, what would she have done if she stayed in that position any longer?

"I..I'm going to the bathroom." she said quickly and got up to leave.

'_What the hell was that?'_ she thought excessively as she passed by a few party groups.

That odd pull, the strange sense that she shouldn't move away, the wanting to continuously breathe in the scent that embodied him, the natural feeling of comfort from their close proximity, there was something definitely wrong. Where did this come from and why was it coming?

Sakura buzzed in and out of people, thinking of possibilities as to the odd pull before she heard a scream erupt from nearby.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hey, hey hey! Soooooo sorry this was super late! Fall semester finally ended and I can write all I want now! Passed all my classes with "A's" so that will shut my parents up for a while. They shouldn't be bothering me during my break from school now, muahahhaa. Thank you all for being so patient and I appreciate your support as well. Your PMs and reviews are really appreciated and I have made friends with many of you guys through PMs and I hope to keep up the friendship. I hoped you liked this update and please look forward to more. I have more stuff planned. XD  
**

**For any grammar or spelling errors, I apologize a lot. I'm not perfect, I'm only human. XP Though sometimes I wish I was a super perfect human. I wouldn't need to study, I wouldn't need a car (I can teleport or run to places with super speed without breaking a sweat), I wouldn't need to exercise to keep my figure XP hahaha but that's wishful thinking. Gotta keep my ass moving, especially around the holidays. I cannot let the Christmas cookies get to me like they did 2 years ago haha.  
**

**-Rusala  
**


	15. Birthday Blunder pt2

Previously on Home:

'_What was that?'_ Kakashi thought.

Kakashi wasn't the only one stuck in a strange trance for that brief moment. Why she had to touch him, Sakura would never know. But something, anything, a finger to his forehead was just, unavoidable in a sense. His skin was surprisingly smooth beneath her finger and Sakura wanted to childishly trail her finger into his hair but didn't. She was locked and couldn't seem to look away from his lone, onyx gaze for that moment, and the scent of his usual body wash and shampoo made her nose wrinkle a little. Her thoughts were filled with how much she liked it. But it wasn't just his scent that kept her close to him. It was the fact that she couldn't move away. It was like she had to stay there or move closer. If Kakashi hadn't patted her head and knocked her senses back together, what would she have done if she stayed in that position any longer?

"I..I'm going to the bathroom." she said quickly and got up to leave.

'_What the hell was that?'_ she thought excessively as she passed by a few party groups.

That odd pull, the strange sense that she shouldn't move away, the wanting to continuously breathe in the scent that embodied him, the natural feeling of comfort from their close proximity, there was something definitely wrong. Where did this come from and why was it coming?

Sakura buzzed in and out of people, thinking of possibilities as to the odd pull before she heard a scream erupt from nearby.

* * *

.

.

Sakura pushed herself through the crowd that had begun to form where the scream came from. She subtly enhanced her hands and glided through people effortlessly to see what had happened. As she broke through to the center of the crowd, Sakura saw her waitress shaken in fear on the floor, a man with a fork in his neck, and another man with a steak knife in his chest. But there was a familiar blond there as well. Sakura immediately recognized her from the briefing hall not too long ago. She was a blond bombshell. Long blond hair, a beautiful face, beautiful skin, and a body she felt a little jealous of. She was running a multiple series of light chakra pulsations into the man's wound, never removing the knife.

Sakura kneeled across from her and felt the need to speak.

"Is there anything I can help with?"

The blond woman looked up to Sakura from the man she was healing and gave her a glare. She had the biggest pool of pale blue eyes Sakura had ever seen. She felt as if she were staring into a clear, sunny day's sky. Naruto had eyes that could rival this woman's but they both belonged to their own category of a clear, blue sky. It'd be tough to say whose eyes were more beautiful.

"I got it covered. The knife is in there pretty deep and severed an artery. Not much else we can do until we get him to a hospital." she huffed and continued to manage the man.

What was this woman saying? There was a lot she could do right there and then. Was she crazy or just lazy? Sakura could only guess that each pulsation she set off was to calm the severed artery from each rush it tried to make; but the lady could have done much more to solve the problem completely.

She glanced to the man with the fork in his neck who sat in his chair with a tall, muscular man holding him down.

Sakura stood and was about to make her way over to him when the blond woman spoke up again.

"He's fine where he's at. Move the fork and you've got a splasher."

"I can help if you like. I'm a-"

"I have it under control. You can leave." the blond woman huffed.

Sakura didn't like the tone she was using. It was that authoritative, condescending tone that Ibiki seemed to enjoy using. Sakura instantly felt like she was going to have a hard time with this woman and decided to leave when she noticed her waitress again.

"Is she ok?" Sakura asked the blond woman. She said she had everything under control but something about her felt off.

"She just looks shaken up. Look you're in the way. If you want to make yourself useful get her off the floor and move her. She's the reason this happened."

Now Sakura really didn't like this woman. She was blaming the waitress for what transpired? If she caused it then she wouldn't have been so scared. The fear in her eyes, her trembling body, and her pale complexion said a lot. She knew that face all too well. It made Sakura feel fond of her in a protective manner. Sakura shook her head and walked over to her waitress with a warm smile and took her hand into her own.

"Are you ok? Can you tell me what happened?" she asked gently.

Sakura could hear a snort from the blond woman but ignored it. She looked to her waitress' name tag and called out to her in the same manner.

"Aya, can you tell me what happened?" she asked again.

Sakura noticed a light bruising under her arm that seemed old and a few new looking ones that were probably made recently. She also took note of one more that was forming under her eye. There was no way Sakura would have noticed the bruises on her arm earlier. The place was dim, and there were colored lights. It distorted a lot of things for a night restaurant but Sakura realized she wasn't wrong when she thought she saw Aya wobble early. She looked back to the waitress with concerned eyes. The waitress looked to Sakura with fear-filled eyes and let a few tears fall. Her hands continued to tremble and she spoke with a shaky voice.

"Souta came to drop off food for my break and Keisuke was there and misunderstood."

"Which one is Souta?" Sakura asked calmly.

Aya's tears had begun to flow heavier at the thought of having to look at them again and made a small notion with her hands to her ribcage - gesturing he was the man with the knife in his chest.

"Its all my fault." Aya cried. "Its always been my fault. Everything is always my fault."

Sakura rubbed her thumbs in soothing circles onto Aya's hands and did her best calming her down.

"Shhh." she said soothingly. "Its not your fault. You have done nothing wrong. Can you tell me what happened after that?"

Aya sniffed and hicced and blinked through her tears frantically.

"Keisuke came over and was upset. He was causing a scene and Souta tried to defend me and then Keisuke, he took a customer's knife and-... and then Souta grabbed a fork when he was still hurt and-..."

Aya continued to cry but Sakura was able to get the gist of what had happened. Judging by her old and new bruises Keisuke was probably her boyfriend or husband. Though Sakura had no clue who Souta was, Sakura was able to deduct that this girl had been abused and Souta happened to be someone who showed her kindness as a friend or family member.

She looked to Aya's slight discoloration under her eye and also deduced that during the time Keisuke started to cause his scene, he may have punched Aya.

Sakura frowned a little but kept her cool and spoke again.

"Aya, did Keisuke punch you?"

Aya looked to Sakura and bit her lower lip. Her eyes glanced to Keisuke and looked back to Sakura in fear.

"Blink once for yes and twice for no." Sakura whispered soft enough for Aya to hear.

The girl looked to her with surprise and blinked once as instructed.

Sakura gently brought her hand to Aya's eye and watched the girl flinch under her when Sakura's thumb made contact to her eye.

"Its ok. I'm a medic." she cooed gently, and heard another snort from the blond woman not too far away.

Sakura examined the discoloration that had finally turned into a full blown bruise along the bottom of her eye that crept up to her forehead and felt sorry for the poor girl. Her fair complexion looked ghostly at this point compared to her massive bruise.

Sakura looked to Keisuke and noticed he had surprisingly small hands. How did a man with small hands leave such a massive mark on her face? Force alone couldn't do that. It wasn't long ago that Sakura had heard the scream either. A fast development of a bruise meant a lot of things and Sakura didn't like the feeling in her stomach.

"Aya were you hit anywhere else?" she asked with hurry but was a little too late. As Sakura turned her attention back to Aya, the young waitress had fallen unconscious where she sat.

"Aya? Aya?" Sakura said as she lightly shook her and laid her down gently before performing a thorough check.

"She probably just fainted from the over excitement." the blond woman called from afar.

Sakura looked at Aya closely. Aya didn't appear to be breathing and her chest seemed to have been bloating. Allowing her hands to glow with a familiar, green resonance of chakra, Sakura quickly placed her hands onto Aya's core and concentrated on mentally examining her. Though, it didn't take long for Sakura to figure out what was wrong with the girl. Her pale expression, the heavy beads of sweat, her slow movements and shaky body, those weren't only caused from the shock of what had just transpired.

"Blondie, we need another ambulance." Sakura called in a rush.

"What? Why? She just fainted." she scoffed. "And the name isn't Blondie its-"

"She bloating. I see four broken ribs and a puncture."

"No way. She wouldn't have been sitting there with that stupid look on her face." the blond woman called to Sakura.

"Anything is possible during an adrenaline rush. You should know that." Sakura snipped.

Sakura bit her lower lip and looked around quickly before calling to a young man in the crowd.

"You! Red shirt! Go into the kitchen and get me a sharp paring knife and a bottle of vodka."

"Wha-What? Me? I uh, he can do it!" the young man in the red shirt said as he grabbed another young man in a black shirt.

"What? No! She told you to do it!" the young man in the black shirt argued back.

"I can't handle that kind of responsibility!"

"You're just getting a knife and vodka!" the young man in the black shirt argued back.

"Nevermind!" Sakura growled. To think someone would be selfish enough to refuse instruction during an emergency. It was expected since she was a stranger but anyone could figure out that she was a medic. Getting ready to create a clone someone had called out her name.

"Sakura?" called a familiar male voice.

Sakura turned her attention to see Genma and Yamato who had made their way into the center. Sakura felt a wave of relief wash over her and called out to her friends.

"Genma, go into the kitchen and get me a sharp paring knife and a bottle of vodka." Sakura ordered.

As soon as he came, Genma left on Sakura's order without a second thought or question.

As Yamato stood beside Sakura, he could already guess at what she was about to do. With just a flick of her eyes from him to the crowd, he instantly understood and had begun to push people back for crowd control. Not just around Sakura, but around the two men and the blond woman as well.

"What are you doing here?" the blond woman called to Yamato.

"I got the stuff!" Genma shouted as he came back with a light jog.

He held them between a dishtowel and carefully handed it to Sakura as she ordered him to help Yamato with crowd control.

"Anyone squeamish, leave now!" Sakura shouted.

Removing the black cardigan from her shoulders, Sakura placed it over Aya's chest and ripped her serving shirt open. Peering under her cardigan, Sakura saw more bruises all over. Old ones, new ones, cigarette burns and various other scars adorned her pale colored flesh. Her rib cage was disastrously black and blue with yellowing and excessive bloating, stretching her slim features.

Sakura quickly grabbed for the vodka, and poured it over the area she was about to perform an emergency incision when the blond woman spoke up.

"Don't even think about it." the blond woman warned.

"But you dismissed her completely. She needs help now!"

"Because she was fine...before... I assessed the situation and this man here needed the most immediate medical attention."

"Did you even bother to talk to her while you assessed your patients? Just focus on what you're doing and leave the rest to me." Sakura snipped.

Without another word from either women, Sakura immediately started to move. The space between Aya's chest and her lungs were filled with air that had escaped from her lung puncture. She needed to remove the air first if she wanted to see Aya breathe. Sakura grabbed onto the paring knife and expertly made an incision about a palm's size below Aya's left breast. It was small, about an inch long, and Sakura quickly removed the pouring cap of the vodka and pressed it against the incision. The sound of air escaping from the thinnest part of the pouring cap, and the sight of Aya's chest rising and falling, relieved Sakura. But the situation was only half over. Now that Aya was free to partially breathe again, the main problem resided with the blood that had begun to fill her lung with each inhale she made.

Sakura called to Genma and gave him another order. He did as he was told, left and came back with a clean straw and freshly sterilized metal skewer and then returned to crowd control. Sakura could feel the weight of eyes on her from a scared and confused crowd, and she could also feel the heavy atmosphere of a scrutinizing gaze from the blond woman. But none of that mattered. What mattered to her was helping out Aya. Although it did cross her mind that Tsunade had not been there. It wasn't exactly impossible to not notice something like this happening on the main floor. After the scream the main lights had been turned on. The music had ceased. Many of the customers were quite and a bigger crowd had begun to grow. It meant that people in the back of the restaurant heard the news and came over to watch as if it were some strange, interesting, side road spectacle.

Sakura shook her head of any other thoughts that didn't pertain to Aya and was about to make another incision when a complication occurred. The poor girl broke out into a seizure before her and Sakura couldn't do a thing but try to suppress the blood from leaking into the cavity between her chest and her lung. Draining that was only going to be all that much harder for Sakura without the proper equipment. All she could do was force her chakra into Aya to act as a film against the hole until her seizure stopped. Yamato had turned his head, ready to give her a hand when the crowd had begun to push into him more, desperately wanting to see what else was happening. People complained and continued to shove. What was wrong with these people? This wasn't a side show. Sakura bit her lower lip in thought. A clone would make sense but with one hand pressed against Aya's incision, and another against her shoulder, there was no chance of Sakura creating a clone. And so she decided to wait it out.

Much to her surprise Tsunade thundered by to check out the scene with Kakashi. Kakashi said nothing as he stood by Sakura, just watching. It was odd to say the least. Tsunade had only graced Sakura enough with a glance before addressing the blond woman as Ino, and asked for the details about the two men before she decided to work on the man with the fork in his neck. Sakura heard appraisals from people in the crowd towards Tsunade and the woman regarded as Ino. Sakura didn't care for the appraisal of strangers, on the other hand she couldn't help but feel like she was an insignificant person because she had not received any questioning.

Sakura quickly threw every non important thought out of her head once more and turned to Kakashi. She wasn't going to wait for Aya's seizure to pass. The longer she waited, the more stress her body would be subject to. Ignoring the dangers of possibly having Aya's shoulders dislocate, Sakura turned to Kakashi and spoke quickly.

"Kakashi, I need you to hold her by the shoulders. I'm not waiting anymore." Sakura ordered.

Kakashi said nothing but did as he was told, expertly taking Sakura's order and pressing his hands firmly against Aya's shoulders. Just as Sakura was about to gather her make-shift equipment, the man with the fork in his neck had begun to shout.

"Get your hands off of me!" he shouted to Tsunade and struggled to shout towards Sakura's direction. "Old man, get your hands off of her! I don't want your hands wandering all over her!"

What the hell was with this guy? Sakura was sure he had seen everything that had just transpired. How stupid was he to assume Kakashi would do something like let his hands wander on a convulsing woman? He should have been worried about other things like her shoulders. There was the danger of her shoulders dislocating but that was something that could easily be fixed after Sakura took away the real danger. But that man was only concerned with Kakashi's hands wandering all over her? How foolish.

The man tried to stand and push through Tsunade and the large man from earlier tried to hold him down but was having a little trouble.. Tsunade lifted her foot and pressed it hard onto his chest and the man forcefully sat back down with a loud "oof" escaping his lips.

"Shut up you prick!" Tsunade roared to him. "I'm working here. Unless you want to live and see tomorrow, shut up, and keep still or so help me I will pull this fork out and let you splatter with no remorse."

The crowd had confident smiles on their faces and a few people cheered. Some people added onto her brave threat and shouted encouraging words and compliments her way. Tsunade really was loved by the people despite her brash ways.

But that didn't matter at this moment. Aya continued to convulse but Kakashi held her down well enough to give Sakura the window of opportunity to quickly solve this matter before it became any worse.

Quickly, Sakura made another incision just below the first and pressed the straw into Aya's chest. She pressed the opening of the straw against Aya's lung and grabbed onto the skewer, carefully guiding it through the straw with chakra induced hands. Just as soon as the tip of the skewer punctured Aya's lung, Sakura promptly removed it, used her chakra to open the puncture a little more, and slipped the straw into the hole, where she sealed Aya's lung around the straw.

Hearing Aya cough and inhale deeply, with little difficulty, put Sakura's main worry to rest. She sat back and placed the straw into the partially empty vodka bottle, watching as the blood had carefully poured in. As Aya's breathing continued to slowly return to normal, Sakura let out a relaxed sigh and placed her palms against the floor. She felt pretty proud of herself. She had just saved a person. It was like the entire room had drowned out and Sakura was "in the zone". She didn't even have to think too hard about it. It just came to her like breathing. No second guesses. No hesitation. There was only so much she could do with limited tools and she did it. All she had to do now was wait for the ambulance. This was Sakura's calling and she knew it.

TBC

* * *

Author's Note:

Hey guys, hope you liked this update. I finally had free time! Yay! I tell you school is really tough. I'm thankful I have the brains to keep up but I'm rally feeling the wear and tear on my body. I love being a nurse, but I really hate the schooling. My instructors don't teach me at all. In class, they lecture us on what we already read before hand for our homework. They load me up with 24 or more pages worth of homework and that doesn't include all the other pages used to study for my quizzes every tuesday and wednesday. I'm practically teaching myself on how to be a nurse. Its bad enough they have ridiculously high standards, but you would think with the high standards and all the money I'm paying, they would teach the students properly? I know from personal experience that nursing isn't always about what you lean in books, but, that doesn't mean the instructors can't teach us as much as they can right? UGH! Anyways, Happy New Year everyone! and Happy Valentines Day! I missed writing for Home so much and I finally had time to write today! Yay!

I love hearing/reading what you think so leave a review. I take creative criticism too :)

I thank you all for waiting patiently and not throwing pitch forks and torches my way lol. I'll try to update as soon as I can. :)  
Thanks again for all your patience and support! XD

P.S. I'm only human, sorry for any grammar mistakes or mispells, i'm pretty much mentally fried at this point hahaha


	16. Threat?

Hey everyone, here's a quick heads up. In this chapter there will be long portions that are _italicized. _Those are to indicate the memories that are being discussed/remembered/shown. Normally i write short parts that are_ italicized_ to indicate what thoughts are going through the character's head but I just thought I'd give you guys the heads up on what to expect so that you're not confused.

**Ok so, here is the chapter. I hope you like it. R&R and much appreciated :)**

* * *

**Sunday, Match 31, 7:15 am**

Sakura's head was swimming. She wasn't just swimming with curiosity towards her interrogation. She was swimming with an overheating body and what felt like a melting brain. No, better yet, she was in the midst of drowning in a fever. Why on earth she had gotten sick today, of all days, was beyond her. But she just needed to get through today.

Clearing the dishes from the table, Sakura brought them into the kitchen and quietly dug into the pantry. There was always an array of over the counter medicine stored up in the pantry for emergency purposes; but Sakura was upset with what she didn't see. A medicine box.

'_Are you kidding me?' _she thought, and huffed in annoyance.

"Of all days…" she grumbled to herself.

Seeing Kakashi, Genma, and Yamato walk into the kitchen from the dining room, Sakura immediately closed the pantry door and proceeded to wash the dishes like she usually did after meals.

Genma had been going on about how an interrogation wasn't needed for Sakura but Yamato and Kakashi could only just give rationale behind why it was needed. It wasn't because they wanted her to be interrogated, heck they really wanted her to be passed without it as well, but protocol was protocol and because Sakura had yet to be cleared, Kakashi and Yamato knew they had to be soldiers first and enforce an interrogation.

The conversation seemed to have been dragging on and Sakura still wondered what was supposed to happen today. It was just a bunch of questioning, right? Its not like she knew what they were going to do since no one said a word about the actual process. So she chirped herself to sound well and spoke.

"So what exactly happens during an interrogation?" Sakura asked curiously, as she washed the dishes. "I mean they're just going to ask me questions right?"

Genma shared an uneasy look with Yamato and Kakashi before putting a hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"Sakura there's more to it. Maybe you should stop washing the dishes and take a seat."

Genma's tone was very unsure and sounded as if he were walking on thin ice. Somewhere in her, Sakura knew this meant something bad. So she stopped what she was doing to take a seat at the island she knew too well.

"You weren't completely wrong about being questioned. But there is something more to it." Genma added.

"And that is?"

"…Seven official witnesses will be there…" he added, still with an unsure tone.

"And?"

"And so will the elders."

"…ok…so what else?"

Sakura felt worried. Genma was never one to beat around the bush to Sakura so it was a bit nerve-racking. She wanted to know what was bothering him already. But being polite, she continued her patience in silence until it was Yamato who spoke up.

"Aside from a series of questions, your memory will be on display for everyone to see."

"Huh?" she asked, eyes wide open with a curious look on her face. "My memory? Is that even possible?"

"There is a machine you will be hooked up to and will be manned by an appropriated technician. That technician is one who is able to channel your mind through chakra and project your memories through electrical impulses onto a screen. Everything you've seen, thought, felt, and even heard will be open for everyone to witness."

Sakura wasn't sure if she had heard Yamato correctly. This sounded like something that came straight out of a science fiction novel. Sakura wasn't sure on how to respond before Genma spoke up again.

"But that's not the worst part."

Sakura shook her head and looked to Genma curiously.

"There is something worse than that?" she asked grimly.

"Sakura, you need to understand that in your interrogation, you have no rights to privacy. Anything you want hidden will be marked as treason. It doesn't matter if the memory is painful or not."

Sakura listened carefully and processed Genma's words as he spoke. It seemed as if her fever had her processing on a slower level than usual and Sakura couldn't help but tap her foot in irritation. But without argue, she let him continue.

"Because you're on good graces with Tsunade, you've got an easy route but its still intrusive to your privacy. Almost twenty people will be there and only seven are accounted as viable witnesses. They don't judge your clearance, they're just there to see if you're an enemy or not. The final decision is left to the elders, your technician, and Ibiki."

"…I see… Well that really puts a twist on things doesn't it…? Who are the other people that will be in there?" she asked. Her brain still wasn't up to her normal processing speed so she had to think about it slowly by asking open ended questions.

"The other people in there will include us, but there will be appropriated anbu members for security purposes. Tsunade and the elders are the most important people to this city so the best and, a lot of them, are required for security. Your witnesses are also trained shinobi so-"

"So I'm seen as a threat. Ok. Its not like I expected anything less." she sighed.

"Sakura…" Genma started, but she held up a hand and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Its fine… I do have a question though…. Everything that is divulged in that room…is that to remain private when the interrogation is over?" she asked nervously.

"Yes of course." Genma reassured her almost too quickly.

"Ok then… That's all I ask."

* * *

**10:15 am**

Sakura was exhausted. After two hours of vocal interrogation, she still wasn't finished. The questions kept coming and Sakura continued to answer truthfully; though no one seemed to show any signs of trust or distrust. These people were the type of witnesses she needed. They all looked just as bored and tired as she was, but it meant they were there with an impartial eye.

Along with the elders, it was just as Ibiki and Genma had promised. Seven witnesses. Though Tsunade, Kakashi, Genma, and Yamato were also inside, they were not counted as viable witnesses. Just bystanders. There had also been quite the number of anbu members and a few older people who looked as if they could die any second. But Sakura really didn't give much care to examine their appearances. What had caught her eyes more were her witnesses.

Each person looked interesting on their own. There were two odd looking men who dressed in green jumpsuits and seemed not ashamed to wear soup bowl styled hair cuts. Sakura couldn't understand why they dressed the way they did but what she couldn't understand even more were their tremendously hideous eye brows. Father and son perhaps? Most likely. She felt a shiver of yuck run down her spine at the idea that they could have been just colleagues. It didn't make sense if they weren't relatives.

Sakura then looked to a couple who sat together and seemed just right for one another. The man wasn't the most handsome, but he seemed to have a charm to him that said he was a strong, loving man. He was a tall man, with brown eyes, short, black spiky hair, and beard. His clothing consisted of the standard Konoha ninja uniform, from what Sakura has seen, with his sleeves rolled up half way, his green flak jacket, sandals, and forehead protector. The woman next to him however, was beautiful. Her skin resembled that of a porcelain doll's. She had black, shoulder-length untamed hair, and very unique eyes that were red in color, with an additional ring in them. Sakura had almost made the mistake of assuming she was a relative of Sasuke's until she noticed there was nothing extra to her iris. Though, it still didn't calm her down any less. The woman was frighteningly pretty and held an intense gaze upon her face. Unlike the man beside her, she dressed in a business-casual attire. Her slick, black slacks and her grey button up blouse suited her nicely. It was so simple that it just fit.

Looking to two other men, Sakura noted how one man, had a very kind appearance and a scar across his nose. Regardless of his scar, it was his kind eyes that left him looking completely harmless. His appearance looked no different from the uniform Kakashi or Genma wore and from what she could see, his hair must have been long if it was pulled back; but nothing in comparison to the man next to him. The other man with visibly long hair was blond, and held some very familiar, blue-green colored eyes. Sakura couldn't put her finger on it, but it felt like she knew him somehow. Actually, it hurt to look at him, though she couldn't understand why.

The last witness, however, was very handsome. His long, dark brown hair looked slinky and framed his face nicely. His pale skin looked smooth, and his strikingly white eyes with a tint of lavender made him look just too pretty. If it wasn't for that angry, scrutinizing gaze he held, Sakura thought she could try to get to know that person. But there was something about him too - it hurt to look at him. There was just a feeling in her chest that tugged and constricted as she looked at him.

Sakura's eyes retracted from those of her witnesses and looked back to her interrogator who was, in fact, the very man she embarrassed Thursday night. His sour expression from her mundane, truthful answers seemed to irritate him as he examined a long, paper with flat lines, a few squiggles, and maybe a few mountain shaped spikes here and there.

"After witnessing no spikes on your polygraph test, we will start a search through the contents of your subconscious." Ibiki concluded. "There will be a ten minute break and we will start promptly at 10:25. To the individual known as Sakura, you will not eat anything during this time. Should you ingest any fluids, water is your only choice."

Sakura said nothing and nodded in agreement, although the idea of Ibiki talking to her as if she wasn't a person, but a character on some lame document, pissed her off. She felt like a prisoner but it was only natural and just continued to take in deep breaths as she tried to calm herself down on a mental, emotional, and physical standpoint. But what on earth was with the specific order on what she could and couldn't ingest? It wasn't like she had planned on eating anything anyways. The light nausea that rolled along her stomach just wasn't very appealing to her anyways and the last thing she needed, was a puke fest.

"Not like I was hungry anyways." she mumbled to herself.

Just as the break started, Sakura stood from her seat and had begun to stretch her aching body. Her fever had begun to take the best of her and had started to affect her joints. Maybe this wasn't a fever. Maybe it was the flu.

With an anbu member following behind her, she made her way outside of the room and towards the water fountain where the eyes of many shinobi followed her. It was completely understandable since she was in the core of Konoha's military base. Training rooms, weaponry, interrogation, even a court room that was apparently used for national cases. This place had everything you could imagine. But why was there even more of them now than she had seen earlier? Change in time of the day perhaps? Sakura ignored the whispers and stares and gently pulled her hair back to take a sip from the water fountain, basking in the fresh, cold water than cooled down her body. It was incredible just how hot she actually was. She could feel the water make its way all the way down her throat and into her stomach. With each sip, she started to feel slightly like a new woman and her sips soon turned into desperate gulps until she had her fill.

Rising slowly from the fountain, Sakura felt a little light headed but ignored it as she turned on her heels and headed back into the interrogation room. It really didn't seem like your typical interrogation room but Sakura didn't question it. It seemed more like a court room but who was Sakura to judge which was what? Every country, city, even nation, had different uses for different situations. Konoha was no exception.

Just as she passed through the door, Sakura could feel the gaze of everyone falling onto her again. It seemed that no matter where she went, stares were all she was going to receive. Though, Kakashi, Genma, Yamato, and Tsunade made it a point to make her feel not as nervous by keeping her company and talking to her as if they were at home. In turn, the two odd looking men in green jumpsuits joined in spouting about the springtime of youth and calling her cherry blossom this and cherry blossom that. The younger one seemed to have had an odd attraction to her and Sakura found herself moving closer and closer to Kakashi; hoping he'd shield her from this socially awkward young man. She placed her hands onto Kakashi's revealed arms and gently guided him in between her and the awkward young man and Kakashi only raised a brow to her. But Kakashi, thankfully, apologized to the odd men and pulled Sakura to the side. She had never felt so relieved in her life than right now.

"Your hands are hot." he said quietly.

"Oh?" she said with a smile.

Kakashi knew very well, just how strained that smile was. Upon closer observation, her skin looked flushed and he could see tiny beads of sweat forming on the sides of her neck. She was sick, and she was pushing through it.

"You want some water?"

"I just had some." she answered with another smile.

"Want more?"

Sakura gave a thoughtful expression before giving him an apologetic look. A flicker of exhaust crossed her features and the bright eyes he knew so well looked dull and glossy.

"Please?"

Kakashi didn't say anything else. He nodded and left without a word; leaving Sakura to sit alone on a row of chairs. Though, her sitting by herself didn't last long. The young, awkward male came back to pester her with questions about her hobbies and favorite types of foods. He didn't seem like a bad guy but Sakura really just wanted to push him away. But, Sakura had to wonder if he was testing her. What if his constant pestering was meant to see if she was politically correct or civil enough to speak with him? What if he was doing it on purpose to get a rise out of her? Sakura couldn't trust the guy as far as she could pop gold out of her ass. What didn't help were her dizzy spells. Her head was spinning right about now but she made it a point to act as if nothing was bothering her, but man-oh-man did she want to just sleep. But the last thing she needed was someone marking her as weak and incapable of being a shinobi. She was practically walking on thin ice so she had to be careful not to show any weaknesses. And thus she put up with him until Kakashi came back with a bottle of water for Sakura to indulge in.

She graciously took the water from his hands and gave him an appreciative look before taking a sip.

"My rival! You need to stop hanging around the youthful cherry blossom! You're ruining Lee's momentum and that's not a very youthful thing for you to do." Thundered the older, strange man.

"Lee…?" Sakura mumbled quietly before having the young awkward man invade her personal space.

"Yes my cherry blossom!? How is that you know my name? I have yet to introduce my- Oh! I'm so rude! I never introduced myself! I'm terribly sorry!"

"Lee you forgot the most important part when it comes to meeting women! A youthful man such as yourself should have known that! For that mistake you will do a hundred push ups!" lectured the older man.

"Yes Guy sensei!" Lee shouted in return.

"…Guy sensei…?" Sakura mumbled to herself. She soon mentally kicked herself for saying the man's name as he came up to her and flashed one hell of a shiny ass smile.

"Why cherry blossom, I didn't think you knew my name. Oh my! I have just created a mistake! Lee! I shall join you on your punishment! But as your mentor I shall do two hundred more!"

"Nonsense Guy sensei! I shall join you with an extra two hundred push ups! We have both made a mistake at being youthful!"

"Right on Lee! But I am your mentor and thus I must do another hundred more!" Guy insisted.

"You two enough! We're starting the second half of the interrogation! Either sit there and be quiet, or get the hell out!" shouted Ibiki.

Sakura could have sworn she saw a few veins popping out of his forehead and neck but remained silent as he turned his irritation onto her.

"You! Get into the box!" he ordered.

Sakura looked to the front of the room and felt as if she were in a science fiction film. There in the center was a large metal box with a door open, just waiting for her to sit inside. There were straps on the seat inside and Sakura looked at it warily. This must have been the device Yamato told her about this morning.

"…is it safe…?" she asked, not caring if she were to sound stupid or not. "I mean…if you don't mind my asking…what is it?"

Ibiki looked well out of patience and was ready to just grab her when the man with long blond hair cut in to speak.

"_That_, young lady, is the device we use for information gathering. By injecting the user with a special serum and having them sit in the seat, the natural electrical impulses of the person's body's runs into overdrive. Prominently the electrical impulses in your brain. The box acts as a stabilizer for your body as we project your memories onto a large screen through another machine and someone who can channel your thoughts with chakra. A medium."

"…so… its safe then?" she asked skeptically.

"Usually." he answered with a shrug, but his eyes gave here a very reassuring twinkle. One which Sakura didn't catch.

"…good to know…" she answered unsurely and walked towards the metallic box.

Sakura knew about the dangers of a person's natural electrical impulses running into overdrive. So many different complications could occur and Sakura just wanted to be sure she wouldn't end up with a lowered IQ, compromised mobility, or worse, a vegetable.

Sitting herself carefully onto the seat, and resting her arms onto the armrests, the blond man strapped her in and pressed a few buttons before closing the box and locking it. All that was left outside the box, was her head, something she was thankful for. She didn't know what she would have done if her whole body was to be locked and confined into that box.

"Inoichi," Ibiki called to the blond man, "I expect to see everything."

Pressing a few buttons onto the back of the machine the man known as Inoichi spoke with irritation.

"Be specific sir. Everything from last week? Last month? Twenty four hours?"

"The date as of today is March 31st. As written on her file, she has been here since May of last year. Scratch that. Lets start with March and work up to today."

"March when?" Inoichi asked.

"March of last year." Ibiki grunted.

Sakura tried her hardest not to smile but it was so darn hard. Inoichi was proving to be an interesting man. He was simply doing his job but he seemed to be trolling Ibiki and Sakura just wanted to smile.

Inoichi made note of Sakura's smile and said nothing as he attached a few white patches to her forehead.

"You have quite the forehead." he said with a quiet, yet interested hum and placed an odd cap onto her head.

"So you're sure this is safe right?" Sakura asked again with uncertainty.

Inoichi gave her a curious expression and blinked a little. There was something about the way he looked at her that made her feel uncomfortable. It was a simple stare, but it held so much depth that Sakura felt as if he was reading her every thought.

"Its fine. I've done this too many times. Just relax. You're going to feel a few pinches in your wrist, don't fight it. It messes with the dosage of the serum."

"Wait what?"

"I said it before. There is no need to repeat myself. Ok. One, two three." he said in a hurried fashion.

Sakura didn't have time to protest or even breathe. As soon as Inoichi said "three", Sakura felt her wrists being pierced with something sharp all along the circumference.

With a wince and bite to her lower lip, Sakura eyed Inoichi questionably before looking to Genma and Yamato who seemed to have been sitting in the front row. Yamato gave her a reassure smile and a nod while Genma flashed her a big smile and a thumbs up. She then looked to Tsunade who seemed to be in a serious mood and then to Kakashi, who looked uninterested in what was going on. He merely had a book in his hand and slouched in his seat behind Genma and Yamato.

With final look to Inoichi, who was now donning on a weird cap of his own and a special pair of gloves, Sakura couldn't help but flinch as his hand came close to her face.

"Just relax." he muttered and nodded his head towards an anbu member in the back. It seemed to have been a woman but Sakura couldn't tell. The person wore a mask, had long black hair, and no chest. Maybe it was a man? Sakura wouldn't never know. But very shortly did the lights go out and a white screen lit up against the wall. Sakura still had no sense of what was happening but tried her best to relax as much as she could. If this machine really could go over her memories for everyone to see, then they were going to be there for a while weren't they?

* * *

**1:32 pm**

Sakura felt sick to her stomach at this point. As Inoichi crawled through her thoughts, rewound, paused, and fast forwarded, Sakura felt as if she could throw up any second. How much longer were they going to take? Everyone saw how she hid in a moving van to get into the city. They all saw her daily life around Tsunade's home and at the home she stayed at now. She was harmless. She did all the chores, she studied religiously, and was a goody-two-shoes. They had no dirt on her and she was practically branded as a normal girl. There were however, a few parts where Sakura was practically mortified that her thoughts at specific times were played by and heard aloud. She mentally called Kakashi stupid more than she could count because the guy practically loved to pick on her. She complained about Genma's laundry and how gross it was since he constantly let them become stiff before handing them off to her. And her mind wondered many times if Yamato was gay because of how gentle he was and how he always smelled nice; floral to be exact.

Although some witnesses laughed or tired not to laugh, no one seemed to find her threatening at all. There were some things that didn't need to be heard that everyone found amusing. When it came to Sakura's thoughts about Tsunade, a few people turned to look at the Hokage as if they watched and heard something fake. Like the time she gave Sakura a book on becoming a woman and bolted from the house for two days, the few times she actually acted like a mother figure and treated Sakura like her own child, and the actual thoughts from Sakura at times that showed how much she appreciated Tsunade as family; it definitely didn't seem like something they would ever see. However, there were many points they saw and understood were Tsunade's personality all too well. Like times where Tsunade was an angry drunk and drilled Sakura on medical terms and procedures as if there was no tomorrow, and the odd times she made fun of Sakura's chest and got way too personal by squeezing them making gross jokes that she should just think of it as a breast exam. That certainly raised a few questions but Tsunade shrugged off the odd looks like it didn't matter. She looked almost proud of what she had done.

Inoichi sighed as Ibiki shouted out random dates or time frames to be reviewed all the while Sakura was in Konoha but reviewed them anyways. Just when Sakura felt as if she was good to go, Inoichi came across an area Sakura purposely blackened out from her thoughts.

"Oh-ho! What do we have here!" Ibiki called out with interest. The man had been completely bored and looked sick to his stomach throughout majority of her screening, but he was now interested in what she was trying to hide.

"That is something I'd like to know too." Sakura asked with worry. "Did I break the machine?"

"No, but you're trying to hide something. If you don't openly share what it is or fill in the blanks then I'm going to crack it and you're not going to like it." Inoichi warned.

"I don't know _where_ or _when _you're searching. You've been going back and forth through this. If you went in chronological order, it would have been easier to tell what was going on here."

"We're looking at December. I can't find an exact date."

"December…December…"

Sakura's eyes searched the crowd as if the answer was going to jump out at her face before it dawned on here what could have been behind the black image. The only thing she could recollect from December was when Sasuke seemingly stalked her. But something else also dawned on her. They had yet to uncover her past relationship with him. She was sure to be judged for her choices and Sakura had begun to panic a little. Her heart rate picked up. She felt as if she could pass out from how fast she was starting to breathe.

"Looks like you're not going to share. Inoichi, do it." Ibiki growled.

"Now just hold on!" shouted Genma. "Let her breathe! She'll get there!"

"Your opinion doesn't count Shiranui." Ibiki intoned.

"Ibiki, just wait. The girl has a fever and she's over heating." Kakashi spoke up.

"Doesn't matter. We've put dying men in that thing and they've survived. She'll be fine. Inoichi, get started."

Just as he was about to start cracking away at the hidden memory, Sakura had begun to chip away at it herself. The look on her face was serious and Sakura openly apologized for any inconveniences she might have just caused just now. In just a short amount of time, all of December was visible and so was the incident with Sasuke in her room.

She said nothing, and refused to look at the screen. Her thoughts, her feelings, and their conversation echoed in that quiet room. It might have only been twenty minutes of terror for her at the time, but watching it over felt like a solid hour before it came to her meltdown, her shouting, her threats to the Uchiha, and her tears. Just as the memory flashed to the part where she took her clothes off for Kakashi, Genma, and Yamato to see her back, Ibiki called her on it.

"What is your relationship with the Uchiha?"

"…nothing…"

"That didn't look like nothing. I'll ask this again. What is your relationship with the Uchiha?" he asked sternly. The hidden malice at the edge of his voice said a lot and Sakura knew something was up. Was Sasuke not a valued person? Or was it the opposite? Was he so valued that someone like her committed a crime just interacting with him in _that_ way?

The silence in the room was heavy and Sakura avoided to look anyone in the eyes. She pursed her lips and refused to answer his question up front. It was something she wasn't proud of. Instead she answered with something else.

"Watch everything in May." she said quietly.

"May it is." Ibiki said with a smile.

This was torture for Sakura. She couldn't crack away the memories of May and felt violated as Inoichi cracked it for her. She felt nauseous. She felt naked. She felt Disgusting. Vulnerable. Ashamed. But most of all, she felt scared. The last thing she wanted to be viewed as, was a useless tramp that wasn't worth a second chance. She looked to Kakashi who in turn, looked her way. And Sakura quickly closed her eyes. She couldn't bare to look at him. She didn't want him, of all people, to see what was about to be displayed. She had no idea why, but his thoughts mattered the most to her. And she knew she had to say goodbye to the seemingly normal life she had in that house once her interrogation was over.

_Sakura didn't know how long she had been out in the rain but it didn't matter. She was tired, cold, and hungry. And she was lost. She didn't think things through and was stuck just staring into nowhere in the rain. Her clothes as well as her long hair stuck to her skin and Sakura wondered if running away was a good idea. She would have died back home eventually so dying out here wasn't going to make a difference now, was it? And so she continued to just stand there, on the sidewalk. A few cars drove by and splashed water on her but she didn't seem to mind. She was just at a loss. It wasn't until the rain let up that the young man known as Sasuke approached her with a non threatening smile and an offer she couldn't refuse. A warm place to stay. Food. And because she had no idea what love or affection was, he seemed to have been offering it, and whatever it was, she took it. At this point anything seemed better than where she came from, so she willing took anything he offered. _

_It didn't take Sasuke very long to take advantage of her. He kept spouting words like "love" and although Sakura never believed it, she went along with it anyways. It was a means for survival. She let him take her body as payment and never argued. He was rough, she learned everything he liked during sex, and did it when commanded. Each thrust into her, each scratch and nail he clawed into her, everything he did during sex only made her feel empty and worthless. _

_She maintained the house while he was away and cooked all his meals for him. And as painful as it was, she let him brand her in three areas and cried about it in silence. He had found out about her healing abilities and ordered her not to use it. He had told her before that if she let those brand marks show on her skin, then it meant she loved him back. Though, Sakura still didn't care for him; just his house and his food. So she led him to believe she loved him by refusing to heal the Uchiha crest marks. _

_Throughout her trials with Sasuke, she let him yell at her when he felt like it. She let him hit her and beat her around and not once, did she shed a tear in front of him. There were points in the so-called "relationship" where he threatened to throw her out or kill her, but what else hadn't she heard before? He wasn't nearly as awful as her father._

_Sakura constantly compared him to the man she used to know as "father" and was thankful that he wasn't as bad. She felt like it'd be ok if she stayed with him. But she knew her time would soon be up at this man's home. So she did what she was best at. She saved the "chump change" he threw around and didn't care for and stored it in her bag. About two months had passed as she stayed with this man, and Sakura was immediately kicked out of his house by a woman with long red hair, glasses, and a mouth that would make the toughest man look like a wuss. She had proclaimed she was prettier and sexier, and cleaner than Sakura could have ever been. And she so proclaimed that Sasuke had loved her more. But Sakura didn't care for what she had to say. She just knew that something like this was bound to happen and took what she could before it happened. _

As the memory ended, Sakura refused to look anyone in the eyes. She was ashamed of herself and little did she know she actually shed silent tears. But as embarrassed as she was, she sucked it up and bravely stared Ibiki in the face. Not his eyes, just his face.

"_That's_ my relationship with him. I'm just some damaged runaway who needed food and a place to stay. My only payment was my body and the household chores. That makes me tramp doesn't it? Are you satisfied?" she sad with a shaky voice. But as distraught as she appeared, she still held her head high to Ibiki and gave him a look that proved she wasn't as much as a threat as he made her out to be.

"Where did you run away from?" Was all Ibiki could ask with his authoritative tone.

"If I knew that information, I would have given that to you freely."

"Meaning?"

"I don't know. I didn't care to pay attention. I figured running in a straight line meant I wouldn't end up at _that_ place ever again so it didn't matter."

Ibiki pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation and gave her the stare down.

"When you entered the city illegally, you were considered a minor. What was the official age to be legally considered an adult where you lived?"

"…Twenty…"

"Well that knocks two nations, and seventeen cities out of the way. That leaves you with one nation, and ten cities. I'm pretty damn sure you know the name of your hometown. Spill." Ibiki growled.

"I don't know." she said sternly. "I'm telling the truth. If I knew, I'd let you know, but I don't. I never went outside. The blinds and the curtains were always down. The only phone in that place was _that_ man's cell phone."

"And _who_, is "that man"?" Ibiki pressed.

Sakura averted her gaze and shut her eyes tightly. Her fever had been acting up again and a wave of vertigo hit her. She burped a little bit of air but held it in her mouth, letting her cheeks inflate a little before slowly blowing the air out of her mouth.

"I need a bucket…" she mumbled, and earned an odd look from Inoichi.

"Answer me. Who. Is. That. Man?" Ibiki pressed again.

Sakura straightened her posture as best as she could and looked to Ibiki lazily. There seemed to have been two of him within her view and she didn't know who to look at. Sakura was about to say something when she burped again and shut her mouth quickly. A round of retching was about to come and an open mouth just asked for trouble.

"Inoichi, search from the beginning." Ibiki huffed and sat back into his chair.

"Sir?"

"The beginning. Start from her earliest memory. Whatever you can get."

Inoichi looked a little troubled but said nothing as he ran a steady flow of chakra from his hand, onto Sakura's head. The screen lit up and there seemed to have been a flash rewind of everything until they reached her earliest memory.

"_Shin! Shin look! She smiled!" called a woman's voice. _

_She looked down to Sakura's face and smiled with excitement. She was beautiful. Her lips were full and peach colored, and her skin was smooth and milky. She had dazzling green eyes with long lashes, and beautiful, long, brown hair which tickled Sakura's nose. She let out a giggle and sneezed, though the woman didn't seem to mind. _

_The man the woman had called out to came into view and smiled just a cheerfully. He was young, handsome, and had short black hair. His eyes were charcoal colored and his face was slender. _

"_Hey princess. Can you smile for daddy?" Shin asked and seemed to have brought his finger to tickle Sakura's cheek. She giggled again and he smiled brightly. "What a beautiful smile you have. Just like your mommy." he encouraged. _

_There was love, and there was no denying that. He kissed the woman on the lips before walking away. _

"_Sumire, I gotta go now. Don't strain yourself too hard ok? Haruka is downstairs so call her when you need something. There's a reason she's here."_

"_You treat me like a child. I'm a grown woman. I can take care of myself."_

"Ugh. Skip this!" Ibiki growled.

Inoichi looked to Sakura with a pained expression and skipped by a few years.

"_Mommy! Look! I'm a superhero!"_

_Sakura's voice was high pitched like any normal child, and small, stubby hands were held up high in front of her face to show her mother. She felt proud of her glowing hands and was excited to show her mother what she could do. _

"_Sakura, what on earth…" her mother called out and gave her a surprised look. _

"_I'm a super hero! I fell and look! My hands are all better!"_

_Sakura's mother smiled and took her into her arms. "I guess you are a super hero. Mind telling mommy how you got your super powers?"_

"Skip." Ibiki grunted aloud.

"_Mommy, why can't I go to school anymore?"_

_Sakura's mother had a sad smile on her face as she handed her a cookie and a glass of milk. _

"_Sakura, you're a gifted child. You're so smart and talented and -"_

"_Then why can't I go back?"_

"_Sakura… the other children… they don't understand… I know you meant well but when you helped Takuma, you scared him."_

"_I scared him? Then I want to apologize!"_

"_Sakura, its not that simple." her mother sadly explained. _

"Skip!" Ibiki barked.

As sick as Sakura felt, she never looked way from the screen. The image of her mother plastered on the screen brought back so many feelings of love and warmth that she would never forget. And the sound of her voice was so soothing it made Sakura feel a little bit better from where she sat. She had longed to see her mother's face again and never thought that day would come until now. But at the same time it was too painful to listen to and to watch.

"_Two times two is?" Sakura's mother asked. _

"_Four."_

"_And two times nine is?"_

"_Eighteen."_

"_How about-"_

"_Mommy?"_

"_Hmm?"_

"_Why won't you let me help you?"_

_Her mother pressed her lips together and a sad gleam flicked passed her eyes before hiding it away with a smile. _

"_What do you mean? You help me out a lot silly. Just this morning you helped me bake all of those cookies."_

"_No mommy… you're hurting."_

"…_Sakura…"_

No surprise when Ibiki shouted to skip this memory too. And as the images flashed before her eyes, Sakura feared the next major memory that Ibiki ordered Inoichi to stop at. It was one of the most traumatic things that had ever happened to her. The day it all fell apart. The day her nightmare started.

_After getting off of a phone call to Sakura's father and an emergency line, a raven haired woman had pushed medications into Sakura's mother and placed an oxygen mask over her face. Sakura's mother coughed profusely and gasped for air and seemed to have been losing herself every minute, but slowly started to relax. _

_Sakura stood by the doorway of the bedroom and watched in fear and uncertainty as her mother's health seemed to diminish quickly before her eyes. Sakura knew her mother's time was cutting close. And it seemed like any day now, she'd be alone in the house. She didn't want that. She loved her mother too much. And so she began to cry from where she stood._

"_Haruka…" her mother spoke weakly, "could you wait…outside for my husband…"_

_The raven haired woman gave her one of the biggest, unsure looks she could and wanted to protest, but Sakura's mother gave her a certain look she couldn't refuse. As Haruka left, Sakura's mother reached out her hand and urged Sakura to come, eventually stroking through Sakura's hair when she reached her. _

"_Mommy stay awake." Sakura sniffed. "The doctor is coming. Daddy is on the way too. You'll be fine."_

_She didn't say anything. She just looked to Sakura with a gentle smile. After a long while she finally swallowed hard and weakly spoke._

"_Sakura." she panted softly.. "When I leave, I need you to take care of daddy ok? He's a delicate man."_

"_No. Mommy will take care of daddy!" Sakura argued as she started to cry. _

"_What are those tears for? Sakura, you're my super hero. You're not supposed to cry." her mother said soothingly, as she ran a thumb to wipe a tear from Sakura's cheek. _

_In that moment Sakura hand an epiphany and climbed onto the bed. _

"_That's right! I'm a super hero! I'll help you!" she cried and pressed her hands onto her mother's chest. Sakura's hands had begun to glow and did the best she could to help her mother, but she refused Sakura's help. She grabbed her hands and held onto them with the last bit of strength she had, and gave her the bravest smile she could. _

"_Mommy stop! I need to help you!" Sakura cried desperately. _

"_Sakura, I need to you watch after daddy ok? Can you do that?"_

"_NO! Mommy no! Haruka-san! Mommy needs help!" Sakura shouted, but no one came. She started to panic when the raven haired woman didn't show and tried to push her hands onto her mother who held them away from her. _

"_Shhh. Sakura. There is nothing more Harkua can do."_

"_But I can help you!" she cried. _

"_Sakura…enough." she said weakly, but sternly. It was the first time she had ever seen her mother sound so serious. _

_She pushed Sakura's hair away from her eyes and continued to speak as best as she could. "You're very smart. And you're very pretty. And you're a good girl too. Don't tell anyone that you're a super hero ok? Not even daddy, do you understand?"_

"_Why can't I tell daddy? You always tell me not to but why?"_

"_Because only one person…is supposed to know a super hero's true identity…" she said with a weak laugh. "This is our secret."_

"_But its just daddy! He can know too!"_

_Her mother winced in pain before smiling weakly again. Her eyes looked glossy, faded, and so far away. The once dazzling green eyes Sakura loved so much lacked luster and had scared her beyond anything she had ever felt scared of. _

"_Sakura, hidden stars shine the brightest when you don't search for them."_

"_What?"_

"_And when you notice them, they prove to be important and carry a weight on them. They become new worlds with hearth and bottoms to behold. _

"_Mommy, I don't understand."_

"_Remember…your hearth is as special as you…it is your safe haven, as you are a safe haven… Do you understand?"_

"_No I don't." she sniffed. _

_Her mother let out a wispy, weak laugh and patted Sakura's hands. _

"_You will." she said softly and slowly closed her eyes. _

"_Mommy, don't fall asleep! Stay awake! You need to see daddy!"_

"_Sakura, mommy loves you."_

_Sakura shook her mother and had begun to cry harder. "Mommy no! Daddy is your medicine! You always say that! He's coming! Just wait!"_

"_And so…does daddy…"_

_Her mother's hands fell limp and her eyes had completely closed. Sakura continuously shook her mother by her shoulders but nothing happened. She cried and shouted to her mother but never received a response. She cried even harder and with her small hands she tried to help her mother with her 'super powers'. She pressed as hard as she could onto her chest like she had witnessed Haruka do once before. She thought she almost felt something positive happen until her father burst into the room and stared towards Sakura's direction in fear. _

"_Sakura…What did you-…" he stared, but couldn't finish. _

"_Daddy." she cried. "Mommy won't wake up."_

_He didn't say anything. His wide eyes, said a lot and his body went stiff. His face was unreadable and set like stone. _

_Sakura got off of the bed and ran to her father, in hopes for comforting him. As she latched onto his leg and wiped tears from her face with glowing hands, she tried to smile bravely, just like her mother had done for her. _

"_Daddy, I'm here. I'll take care of you ok? Mommy said to-"_

_Sakura stopped in mid sentence as she saw a gruesome expression play along his face. He had been staring down at Sakura with panic and rage etched into his features and he was no longer handsome. His contorted expression shook fear into her and just as she tried to speak again, he shouted. He screamed. He hit her. _

"_You! you monster!__"_

"_Wha-?"_

"_Its all your fault! You monster!"_

"_Daddy I didn't do anything!" Sakura cried. She tried to touch him to reestablish a comfort level but he wouldn't let her. He screamed some more at the top of his lungs._

"_Don't touch me with those hands! You did something!"_

"_Daddy I-"_

"_I'll kill you!"_

_He lunged at Sakura and punched her face with no remorse. Just rage and tears. When Sakura scurried away she covered her face in pain and fear. He came and attacked her again. He pulled her arms away and shouted in fear when he saw her face. Her glowing hands had fixed the damage on her face and she cried uncontrollably. _

"_What the hell are you?!" he shouted. _

"That's enough!" shouted a familiar voice. "Stop the channeling!"

Sakura slowly turned her head towards the familiar voice and saw a raging Tsunade. The memory immediately ended and Ibiki sat up with a angered face.

"Hokage-sama we're not finished with-"

"I don't give a rat's ass what you're finished with! She is no threat!"

"We haven't finished sifting through her memories to know that Hokage-sama. I understand that you have taken a liking to this young woman but-"

"What the hell do you think happens after this?! Huh!? Abuse! Neglect! Its pretty damn obvious what happens next and you want her to re-live that?! I mean, just look at her! Enough is enough!"

"I'm doing what I feel is right, and what my job entails. Contrary or not. Inoichi, continue sifting."

The technician didn't move. He looked to Tsunade and removed his gloves and his helmet.

"Inoichi what is the meaning of this?" Ibiki thundered.

"Isn't this enough?" Inoichi asked.

"I'll say whether or not its enough."

"This is just a little too much." he said with a calm, rational expression.

"Don't tell me you're having a change of heart. You've done much worse with interrogations regardless of guilt or innocence. She is no exception."

"With all due respect sir, if the Hokage says to stop, then I stop. Contrary or not."

Tsuande nodded to Inoichi to release Sakura and placed a hand on Ibiki's shoulder.

"You are a good shinobi. You do your work efficiently and I have no complaints towards you or your unit. But if you so much as dare to ignore my orders again, oh trust me, you will have problems. Understood?"

"But Hokage-sama-"

"I asked, are we understood!?" she roared.

"…yes…Hogake-sama." he gritted.

"Good."

Tsunade turned on her heels and walked towards the elders who looked upset and distraught. It was clear they didn't agree with stopping the interrogation but the pained expressions on their faces said they couldn't stand to watch any more of it either.

"The city's safety is my responsibility. If this is a mistake, it is my mistake to make and I will fix it. You bore witness to this young woman's thoughts and memories. Ask yourself this, what if she didn't come here? What would have become of her? What would have become of her talent? I praise her for actually leaving that place and toughing things out the way she did. She's a perfect example of a star that shines brightest when you don't look for it."

The elders said nothing to her in return. They were too upset yet stunned for words. Instead, they had gotten up and left with a good amount of anbu members that happened to be in that room.

Sakura couldn't remember much of what happened after that. Her senses had shut down and she could barely hear muffled voices that seemed too far or too close as it echoed in and out of her head. She was too tired to even care. She just wanted to throw up, sleep, and feel better and wished she had never saw those painful memories again. But it didn't change the fact that she did see them.

* * *

**Author's NOTE!**

**Hey everyone, guess who is back?! I'm so excited to be back! I'm on break! Well, actually, I'm not in the nursing program anymore...well I am but things happened. There was so much crap going on and the instructors weren't being fair with any of the students so we all banded together to make a complaint and well...the school decided to go into further "investigation". Though, they're not surprised someone finally filed complaints. They're contacting the students from last year for statements and etc and so we're all on break until further notice. But at the rate things are going, it looks like we'll be getting a refund for this year and will be taking the course next year with different instructors and a fair grading system. So in the mean time, I'm free!**

I hope you liked this new chapter. Chapter 17 will be up soon. I've love to hear/read your thoughts on the reviews. Thanks so much :)

-Rusala


	17. Hard work, no play What do you say?

**Author's Note: SORRY! I'VE BEEN GONE FOR LIKE, A LONG TIME! XD School has been a biotch, I started working erratic hours as a waitress. I can't seem to quit that job because the tips are just great  
Enough about my problems.  
I hope you guys like this chapter. Its probably not the best but I am finally able to manage my time and get back into writing. So if this isn't the best, then next chapter should be ok haha.  
Again, thanks for following me and supporting me. It really means a lot. ****Please let me know your thoughts in the review box below. I really take into account what everyone feels : )  
It helps boost my creative writing. **

**-Rusala**

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* * *

**April 21, 7:00 am**

Three weeks. That was more than enough time to grieve. That was more than enough time to move on. That was more than enough time to get her act together. She truly believed she was ready.

Sakura pulled her hair into a bun, and let her bangs frame her face in a professional manner.

This was it. This was her day to prove herself worthy of Tsunade's words and her, somewhat, motherly protection. It was the day to make a good first impression. After a week of following Tsunade around, and becoming familiar with codes, wards, and storages, Sakura was ready to start. She needed this and badly. She needed the redemption. She may have been cleared from her interrogation, but nothing was as embarrassing, torturous, and more horrifying, than having others see first hand what happened in her life. She needed this gig to redeem herself and to give herself a better image. Not that Sakura was one for titles or images, but, in the line of work she was to be getting into, she needed to have a good image.

Giving herself one final look into the bathroom mirror, Sakura smoothed the wrinkles from her dark blue scrubs, and grimaced before she exited into the hallways of the hospital. She didn't mind that she was placed on a probation period, but she minded that she was to work directly under Ino Yamanaka - the blond bombshell who, turns out, wasn't that much older than Sakura was. A young, bright, prim age of twenty one, and the position of an Attending in a major hospital said a lot about her status. She was a level higher than Sakura. Her supervisor. Her boss. Her, well, although she knew better than to think it, Ino was maybe her enemy. Sakura hadn't received the best impression from her on her birthday, and something about her, just rubbed Sakura the wrong way. A bitch, by what most women would call someone like Ino, wasn't the right word for her at all. But, trying to think positively, Sakura decided that maybe she needed to give her another chance. Maybe her irritation and arrogance was caused by the high stress of the situation and because her dinner had probably been interrupted. Maybe it was also that time of the month for her. Maybe she had just gone through a bad break up. Only god knew the real reason and Sakura was going to give the benefit of the doubt and look past it to start anew.

Sakura turned the corner and into the office she would be sharing with Ino and heaved a heavy sigh.

'_Easier said than done.' _she thought, and opened the door.

And there she was. Ino sat at her desk by the window, sighing up a storm. She seemed to have been preoccupied with some sort of fashion magazine as she paid no attention to Sakura. Her long, blond hair had been cast into a high pony tail and a long lock of bang side swept the right of her cheek. She wore a mauve button down dress that was open to show a bit of cleavage, black heels that Sakura could hear tap against the floor, and covering the rest of her was one very, blindingly white, lab coat.

Sakura watched her flip through another page and sighed again as she trailed her finger over a few dresses. Sakura raised a brow unsurely. Just what was this woman doing? Underneath her magazine, was a mountain of folders and patients' charts she could have been filling out or organizing, or just, something; but instead, she chose to read a fashion magazine. Seeing this had only made, giving the benefit of the doubt, all the more difficult.

Sakura cleared her throat but Ino refused to look at her. She flipped through another page just as slowly as the last, and changed her routine by grabbing a pen to circle a few items. Sakura cleared her throat again which earned her an irritated glance from Ino, but she decided to pay attention to her magazine once more.

"I'm sorry to bother you -…" Sakura started politely but was soon cut off.

"Then don't." Ino replied with disinterest.

Sakura clenched her teeth but smiled and continued to speak.

"I'll be working with you for-…"

"_Under._" Ino corrected as she flipped another page.

"Under?" Sakura asked curiously.

"You'll be working _under_ me. Get that straight. If you can't identify your superiors then you better get it down by the end of the day or I'm not signing your probation papers at all."

All of that disinterest and arrogance in her voice, pricked at the back of Sakura's neck. But she shrugged it away and decided to make the best of it. There was no way the day could get any more irritating than it already was. Right?

Closing her magazine with a huff of annoyance, Ino looked to Sakura and threw a beeper and a radio her way. Sakura, thankful for her reflexes, caught the two devices and had begun to hook them onto her uniform as Ino spoke.

"Listen up forehead,"

Sakura frowned at her new nickname.

'_Forehead?' she thought.  
_

"I have rules that you better follow precisely. And listen carefully because I don't repeat myself. Number one, don't bother kissing up to me, I already hate you and that won't change. Number two, your nurses and I page you and you come running. You're not a shinobi for nothing. You better respond to that page within ten minutes max, two minutes minimum, there is a reason why stairs were made. Number three, Tsunade might have appointed you as a resident but _under_ _**my**_ supervision, you're a grunt. A no one. You are on the bottom of the food chain. You run labs, you write orders, and you spend every second working until you drop. You do as I say, when I say, no complaints. Number four, if I'm sleeping, don't you dare bother me unless your patient is actually dying and for future reference, your patient better not be dead by the time I get there or else you would have woken me up for nothing and then we'll have a serious problem. Number five -…"

Sakura mentally rolled her eyes and religiously chanted to herself over and over, _"benefit of the doubt"_. She hadn't even started her rounds and already she was dreading every second she spent in that hospital. The rules went on, and on, and on. After rule twenty two, Sakura could feel that Ino's rules were coming to an end.

"…- and lastly," Ino continued, "You refer to me as Ms. Yamanaka. No ifs, ands, or buts. We're not pals and we never will be. Understand?"

"…yes." Sakura gritted.

"Yes…what?"

"…Yes…Ms. Yamanaka."

With a self appraised huff, Ino strutted past Sakura and out of the office with her head held high, her back upright, and swayed her hips as Sakura followed behind her. They headed towards the nurses station where Ino grabbed what looked like a large, fresh stack of files just for Sakura and roughly pressed them into her.

"Here. Read them. See your patients. Do whatever it is you need to do with them." Ino sneered.

Sakura only nodded and immediately turned on her heels to head to her shared office when Ino called out to her.

"Oh and forehead, - " Ino sang.

Sakura cringed and begrudgingly turned to look at the smirk on Ino's face.

"Get it all done by lunch."

* * *

**10:45 am**

"_Get it all done by lunch_." Sakura repeated mockingly in a whiny voice. "I'll get it all done by lunch you lousy sack of boobs."

* * *

**April 29 8:00 pm**

The car ride back home was boring, but not quiet. Shizune had a lot of stories to share about her time as Tsunade's pupil. It was by chance she was in the hospital and ran into Sakura. And it was by chance Sakura had just finished her shift. She offered her a ride instead of waiting another 4 hours before Genma could pick her up and she took it. The faster the better, is what Sakura thought. But as much as she loved hearing Shizune's stories, Sakura couldn't help but daze in and out about how her first week had turned out.

It was the same routine the entire week. Ino talked down to Sakura, she threw a heavy work load her way, and she took credit for majority of Sakura's work. Sakura was practically this girl's bitch. She had to wonder whether or not Ino was really planning on signing her probation papers at all. But worst of all, Tsunade wasn't around to see it. She had been locked into her tower by Shizune and left everything to Ino for the next few days. It also didn't help that Ino was a well respected individual already. There was nothing that she could do that would make herself look bad. She had Tsunade and Shizune's trust so its not like Sakura could have ratted her ass out. How would that make Sakura look? Ungrateful? Spoiled? Presumptuous?

Sakura inwardly sighed and felt Shizune's car come to a stop in front of her home. With a few goodbyes and encouraging words from Shizune, Sakura exited the vehicle and made her way to the front door. She didn't even watch as Shizune drove away. Her mind just wasn't there.

She unlocked the door, and closed it behind her slowly. It was dark, and way too quiet, but Sakura didn't care to wonder about the lights or the silence. She was exhausted and just wanted to crash onto the couch.

With the plot of her home etched into her memory, she walked through the dark effortlessly and dumped her bag onto the floor before taking a seat onto the lavish couch she had come to cherish. It seemed to have been her newest friend this past week, and Sakura was in no condition to shun it. She needed it for comfort more than she needed it for sleep. It gave her a sense of someone being there, without being there, and she relished into that comfort.

With an exhausted sigh, she moved herself towards the center of the couch and gently laid herself down. The feeling of its soft material against her body felt nice, but the feeling of someone's rough clothes beneath her face threw it all off.

"Ugh. Genma I swear to god you need to stop leaving your clothes on the couch." she grumbled and tried to pull it out from under her head. But with each pull she made, the clothes didn't see to move. They were stuck on something.

"Sakura, could you stop pulling on my clothes?" exhaled a tired man.

Or stuck on someone.

Sakura immediately jumped from her spot on the couch. Her heart pounded against her chest. She picked up a defensive stance and grabbed for the nearest thing she could find before the voice spoke to her again.

"You know, if you hit me with whatever you're trying to grab that's just going to make you seem more violent." he teased.

With a curious blink to herself, Sakura's senses lulled back to what they were before and she frowned towards the voice. Of course. Only Kakashi would be calm enough to irritate her in a situation like this.

"Oh. Its just you." she grumbled awkwardly.

"Why Sakura, isn't that a little cold? I've been gone for four days. Couldn't you be a little nicer to me?"

Sakura dropped herself back onto the couch roughly and laid back down onto Kakashi's lap. To her, she didn't even have to think twice about it. It just felt comfortable and natural to do so. She didn't see it. Maybe she felt it but was too tired to care. But in the dark living room, Kakashi went stiff for a moment before calming down to her odd behavior.

Sakura let out a tired sigh and adjusted herself for comfort. It was just, Kakashi. If it were Genma or Yamato, of course it would have been weird. They still felt tense and awkward around her after what they saw. And as hard as they tried, the air was still heavy. If they didn't pity her one way, they pitied her in another. If they got into a discussion about movies or situations that barely even related to her, they droned out and changed the subject to be courteous. Sakura understood it was natural for them to react the way the did. But Kakashi was different. He continued to tease her the way he always did. He continued to troll her and piss her off every chance he could. He continued with their intelligent debates and still never let her win. She had to admit, she felt closer to him because of it. She found herself feeling a little attached to him because of what he had done the past couple of weeks. And what she hadn't realized, was that he became a type of burned existence to her like her scars. He was a scar she was proud and confident to call, her friend - though she still had no idea what her relationship to anyone was, a friend was probably the closest thing she could muster from the recess of her mind. Naruto spouted "friend this" and "friend that" to anyone and everyone so maybe it was time for her to start doing the same. At least with the people she had grown close to.

Other tid bits about Kakashi that Sakura appreciated, was the fact that he never mentioned what happened before and never showed that he had ever seen it. But Sakura wondered if he even cared. She felt like he didn't, which, for an odd reason, bothered her. Why didn't he care? Why wasn't he awkward with her? Did he really not think that much about her? But the bigger question came to her thoughts. Why did she care about what he thought? A small realization occurred that she cared about his thoughts, and his thoughts only, during the interrogation. But why? The only logical explanation came from the fact that she still couldn't figure the guy out. The guy was an enigma. Just what was going on in his head? Who was he? What was with his existence that seemed to call out to her?

Heaving another sigh, Sakura felt as if she could fall asleep right there and then until Kakashi decided to cut in.

"Um…Sakura?"

"Hmm?" she hummed in irritation.

"What are you doing?" he asked with a hint of curiosity.

"Laying down."

"Why on me?"

"Punishment."

"For?"

"Scaring the crap out of me. If you heard me come in you should have said something. No wait the better question is, couldn't you smell me a mile away?" she huffed and crossed her arms over her stomach.

"That's a bit immature don't you think?"

"Deal with it. I'm tired."

"So am I. I'd be dreaming soundly right now if you didn't try ripping my clothes off." he sang.

Sakura was quiet for moment and quickly grabbed at Kakashi and gave the underside of his arm a pinch.

"Hey, hey! Ow! What an abusive woman you are." he said with a fake sob.

"Shut it." she mumbled.

"Ooh, scary." he teased.

"Deal with it."

"You know, you're invading my personal space."

"And?"

"Well I don't like it."

"Too bad."

A moment of silence had passed before Kakashi spoke.

"…you know…you forgot the lock the door."

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did."

"No I didn't." she huffed.

"I'm pretty sure you did." he insisted.

"I said I didn't."

"But I'm saying you did." he sang.

"Kakashi." Sakura warned.

"What? I'm just saying I have exceptional hearing. I didn't hear the bolts click together."

"You're just trying to piss me off aren't you?"

"I would never do such a thing." he gasped.

"Yeah right. You _live_ to piss me off."

"No I don't. You just get pissed off easily."

"You know what Kakashi!?" she warned with a raised voice.

Kakashi stayed silent, but Sakura felt a chuckle slightly shake his stature. And she knew he really did like pissing her off.

"Hide that ugly smug." she muttered.

Sakura said nothing as she let her slow, continuous breathing calm her back into her tired state. And it was surprising that Kakashi let her. He said nothing and he too, steadied his breathing. The sound of his light exhales blowing against the thin of his mask lulled her. And it felt as if an hour was passing by though Sakura knew very well it was a solid minute. She was waiting for something in this moment of relaxation. She felt engaged in something just laying there. She felt the distance close in again though it was clear no one was moving. She wanted to get up and move but she couldn't. She was stuck. And the memory of her birthday came by in a flash. It was the same odd pull and it was just so natural.

And little did she know that Kakashi felt the same. He was tired. He hadn't showered yet. But the feel of the couch was too good to be true. And then Sakura came and bothered him but he felt no irritation in the slightest. It was, relief. Maybe comfort much more than relief. But it just felt natural. And that natural feeling told Kakashi to run. But he couldn't.

"Sakura, are you still awake?" Kakashi asked unsurely, breaking Sakura's thoughts.

"Not really…" she yawned.

"Are you really going to sleep with me?" he teased.

"I'm not sleeping _with _you. I'm sleeping _on_ you. There's a difference."

"No, not really."

"Says the pervert."

"Wouldn't you rather go to your room?"

Sakura let out a tired snort.

"Haven't slept in there for a week. What makes you think I'm going back in there?"

"What's wrong with your room?" he asked curiously.

Sakura didn't answer. Instead she changed the topic completely and caught Kakashi by surprise.

"Hey, how can you still talk to me?"

"Hmm?" he hummed.

"Doesn't it bother you?"

"I'm not sure I follow."

"…me…my past…doesn't it bother you?"

"Do you want it to bother me?"

"I'm just trying to understand. You've never treat me any different. I don't know if you care or don't and I'm not trying to delve into that. I'm just…I don't understand you…your ways…why you treat me the same… Genma and Yamato are hesitant and its understandable. They fill the room with an awkward air. Shizune flashes those looks of pity and tries to over compensate by asking how I'm doing every single day. I appreciate the effort and the show of concern and its all, completely understandable human behavior but it makes it all the more harder to even approach them or have a conversation with them without me feeling like some pitied, wounded deer in the dark forest. I'm not. And it doesn't matter how much I tell them I'm fine because they don't stop."

Kakashi listened to her words with patience.

"But the moment I woke up from my fever, the first thing I saw in my room was your stupid smug, and you made fun of me like nothing happened. You didn't over compensate. You didn't leave an air of awkwardness. And you sure as hell weren't hesitant to make me mad. I don't understand you."

"So does it bother you? The way I treat you?"

"No. Of course not. I just don't understand you."

"Then does the fact that, _I know, _bother you?"

"Its fine and I'm fine."

"And are you sure you're fine?"

"What? Yes I'm fine!" she huffed.

"Then there's no problem." he said simply.

"No, there is." she insisted.

"And that is?"

"You."

"Me? How am I the problem?" he laughed.

"…because you treat me the way you usually do."

"And that's a problem?" he asked curiously.

"Because I don't understand."

"But you said the way I treat you wasn't the problem…I'm starting to get confused and it feels like we're going in a circle." he laughed.

"I'm just trying to understand your reasons for treating me the same. That's the problem. I don't understand. Now. DO. YOU. UNDERSTAND?" she said, and spoke slow towards the end.

"Sakura, I'm not stupid. BUT. IF. YOU. WANT. I. CAN. TALK. TO. YOU. LIKE. THIS."

Sakura swatted at his chest.

"I'm serious. Elaborate will you? Humor me."

"Well I have humored you but you just get mad at me."

"Kakashi you're only humoring yourself." she growled in annoyance.

Kakashi held back a chuckle but Sakura knew all too well he was enjoying the moment; even if it was serious. And before she could make a move to pinch him again, he gabbed her hands and called for a truce as she tried to break free.

"I give." he chuckled. "You want me to elaborate then?"

"Yes. Please." she huffed.

There was a moment of silence before an exhausted sigh could be heard leaving Kakashi. And Sakura gave him all the time he needed before he decided to answer her.

"You're not a weak person. You've come a long way and pity doesn't do you justice. It just throws you back to the place you came from and you're better than that. Besides, what happened in your past doesn't matter. Everyone has things they're not proud of."

It was simply put, and though someone might have thought his words may have come off in a harsh, matter of fact tone, it was something Sakura needed to hear.

"And I really hate to sound like some cheesy self help book or one of those "Dear Kana" articles Genma likes to read but who you are right now is what matters the most. Long story short, you right now, are a good Samaritan and frighteningly smart person. Though you still can't beat me in a fight, you're strong and level headed. You pulled yourself from crap and survived the best way you knew how. Look at where you've gotten yourself now. You jumped the ranks in a hospital where no one knows you and you're working hard to build trust for yourself, and for everyone around you. You're going to take the chunin exams soon as proof that you have skill and not just good graces. Isn't that enough?"

His words were an eye opener. Sakura saw it that way, but hearing it from someone else only made it more believable. Or was it because she was hearing it from Kakashi that it felt more believable? Tsunade had shared similar words and Sakura believed it, but it didn't feel as satisfying.

"…Hey…" she started.

"Hmm?" Kakashi hummed in response.

* * *

**1 hour later**

There was nothing to be said after that. He made her upset. He humored her questions. And now, he was ready to crash. "Sleep" was an understatement considering his exhaust from his mission and having Sakura bomb his lap with her petite figure made him even more exhausted. A man was still a man. And when an attractive woman, or _**any**_ woman - though he would never admit that aloud - made physical contact with any portion of yourself below the belt, well, you can bet you need every last bit of strength you have just to keep your body from showing its very honest side.

But as burnt out as he felt, his thoughts reeled back and forth to Sakura's last question for the evening before he departed to his room.

"…_Hey…" she started. _

"_Hmm?" he hummed in response. _

"…_are we…friends?" she asked unsurely. _

_There was one hell of a heavy atmosphere left by Sakura and Kakashi wasn't entirely sure as to why she left it. Wasn't the answer obvious to her? After all of this time, shouldn't the status of their relationship be clear? By now, did she still think of everyone as people, and not friends? Sure there were certain superior and inferior positions to uphold during certain situations, but on a general, daily basis, shouldn't the answer have been clear?_

_Kakashi didn't have to hesitate with his answer._

"_Do you have to ask?" he mused with an eye crinkle. _

_It wasn't a real answer. But it was an answer…more or less… but Sakura seemed a little curious, confused, but satisfied at the same time. It was as if she were silently telling him, "only an answer Kakashi would give. Thanks.".  
_

Somehow Kakshi couldn't help but replay the sound of that final conversation over and over in his head. For knowing her as long as he has, not once did she see them in a comrade or friendly sort of light? Not even mentors? But why did it matter to him what she thought? Complete trust wasn't something that could have been built right away. But for knowing her for almost a year and a half, to think she didn't see anyone that way. No. that wasn't right. It wasn't her. It was him. It was all of them. No one had made their relationship clear to her from the beginning.

But then again, did he really believe they were friends? The relationship felt like a friendship and he already thought of her as a comrade. He thought of her as his student. And he thought of her as someone he needed to be beside to help guide her through troubles - like the guardian position he and Yamato had taken up. But did he really feel like they were friends? Was that why he pestered and trolled her? Was it why he kept tabs on her in cases of emergencies?

With a sigh, he wondered if he should talk to Yamato or Tsunade about Sakura's dilemma or not, and stretched a hand behind his pillow for comfort. It held a double edged sword in terms of human relations. She came from a home where abuse was prominent and was stuck in another abusive relationship with a man who gave her mixed, and twisted views of what love was. She believed one thing, but she was learning that it wasn't the ideal thing. It didn't seem to cause too much turmoil to her and she was open enough to ask and be comfortable asking.

Kakashi sighed again. He was too exhausted to continue thinking. His senses dulled out, and a half-sleep state encompassed his remaining consciousness.

* * *

**2 hours later**

The door to his room creaked open but didn't close and the feeling of his bed shifting slowly beneath him didn't bother Kakashi much. He was too tired to even entertain Pakkun. He knew his little friend was just going to crawl in and join him. Slowly, he lifted a portion of his blanket, ready to invite him in and felt the bed dip a little deeper than it usually did. A few light strands of fur waved across his bare arms and the familiar scent of pomegranate filled his masked nose as he inhaled deeply in relaxation. The warmth of his little friend moved closer but strangely felt larger than usual, but that didn't seem to bother him either. Instinctively, Kakashi lifted an arm and pulled it over his little friend, and gently traced his thumb across Pakkun's soft, smooth shoulder.

'…_shoulder…?'_ Kakashi thought as he mentally awoke to the feeling of a warm, soft body against his very own. And there was a sudden realization that Kakashi hadn't summoned Pakkun at all today.

Kakashi's eyes shot open in an alert response to a foreign person in his bed and was ready to fight until he noticed a familiar shade of pink; dulled out by the dark room and the off illumination the moon had been giving through his window.

"What the-…Sakura what are you doing in here?"

.

TO BE CONTINUED.


End file.
